Broken
by crosbyfan21
Summary: Alianna and Murtagh are getting married. The only problem? They can’t stand each other! Can they ever get over their differences, and see that maybe they aren't so bad after all?
1. Chapter 1

**_This story is dedicated to my friend, OpheliaHyde. If it weren't for her ideas and input, I doubt this story would've been written. You all should check out her story "The Girl Next Door" over in the movies/Four Brothers section. It's really good!_**

**_Anyway, this is my first Eragon related story, so try and take it easy on me lol. Reviews are always appreciated :) _**

It was early morning in the city of Uru'baen. A young dark haired girl named Alianna wondered the streets wearing a dark cloak with the hood up so as not to be seen. She watched as the people went about their daily routines: there were some who were buying and selling food, children running around playing, men drinking ale and telling stories at the tavern, and much more. Everything appeared to be normal. That is, until Alianna came upon the city's market where a small crowd had gathered. Alianna moved in closer so she could see what was going on. A group of the king's soldiers had cornered a man that had been caught stealing several packages of meat. Behind the man stood a small boy who couldn't have been more than four years old. Alianna assumed that he was the man's son.

"Please" the man begged, "I can explain. My family is starving, I…"

"Silence!" one of the soldier's shouted, "I place you under arrest in the name of the king!!"

The soldiers grabbed the man and began to lead him away. The little boy began to cry and ran after them.

"DADDY!"

A soldier in the back turned around and struck the boy in the head.

Alianna could hold her tongue no longer, "How dare you strike a child!" She stepped in front of the soldiers, "And release that man at once!"

The soldier who had struck the boy laughed, "Back away miss, this doesn't concern you."

Most people would be frightened at the point, but Alianna stood firm, "I'm not moving until you release that man."

"Are you deaf? Get out of our way before you hang as well!!!"

At that moment, Alianna drew her sword and removed the hood of the cloak from her head, revealing her face. The crowd around them gasped.

"Princess Alianna!" the soldier said as he bowed down, "Forgive me. I did not realize it was you…"

"Stand up" Alianna ordered, "Now that you know it's me, I demand that you release that man at once."

"Your highness, this man is a known thief. For months now, he's been stealing food from this market as well as many others throughout the city."

Alianna turned to the man, "Is this true?"

"My lady, times have been difficult for my family." the man said, sounding very frightened, "Not only do I have my son, but four other children at home to feed. I know it's wrong, but I'm desperate…"

Alianna nodded, then looked back at the soldier, "Release him"

"But your father, King Galbatorix, gave us orders…"

Alianna lifted her sword and held it to the soldiers throat, "Well, I'm giving you new orders. You are to release this man at once and see to it that his family has enough food to last them the season. Have I made myself clear?"

"But…"

Alianna's brown eyes filled with anger as she began to press the sword to his throat even harder, "I said, have I made myself clear?"

The soldier nodded, "Yes, Princess…"

With that, the soldiers released the man, who immediately went and embraced his son.

Alianna walked over to them, "Are you and your son alright?"

"Yes my lady" the man said, "I can't thank you enough for what you've done for us."

"You're welcome" Alianna said, smiling slightly. She then began to walk away.

All of a sudden, one of Galbatorix's own guards, whom Alianna recognized as Evander, approached her.

"My lady Alianna" Evander said, "His majesty, King Galbatorix, whishes to see you in his chambers immediately."

"I'm on my way." Alianna replied, "Thank you Evander. You're dismissed."

"He asked me to accompany you to the castle." Evander told her.

Alianna rolled her eyes, "Of course he did. Well, lets be on our way then."

Evander climbed onto his horse, then handed Alianna the reins to her own horse, a beautiful white one whom she had named Bella. Soon they rode off and within minutes they arrived at the castle. Alianna gave Bella to one of the servants to put in the stables, and then entered. Ten guards escorted her down the long corridor that led to her father's chambers. Alianna slowly opened the door and took a deep breath. She was not looking forward to this. It didn't help that her father's chambers were very dark and cold. This room had frightened her as a child. Alianna saw her father standing near his throne.

"You wished to see me, Father?" Alianna asked.

Galbatorix looked at the guards, "Leave us"

The guards bowed down and then quickly left, leaving Alianna alone with her father. At first, Galbatorix said nothing. He just stared at Alianna with an angry expression on his face. Alianna gulped. Finally, after about five minutes, Galbatorix walked towards Alianna and spoke.

"Well Alianna" Galbatorix said, "I hear you've had quite a morning."

Alianna replied, "Father, I…"

"Silence!" Galbatorix shouted, "You will not speak until I am finished. You stupid girl! How many times have I told you not to go into the streets by yourself? I will not have my 17 year old daughter creating a scene in front of the entire kingdom and embarrassing me. Is it true you let a known thief go free?"

"He was just trying to feed his poor family." Alianna told him, "There was no need to arrest him. And there was no need for your soldiers to strike the man's son, an innocent child. So, I told them to release him. They would've killed him otherwise."

"I give the orders, not you! I don't care what happens to some peasant."

"You're nothing but a cruel, heartless…"

Galbatorix grabbed Alianna by the hair and pulled her head back.

Alianna smirked, "What are you going to do Father? Kill me? You can't and you know it. I'm your only heir."

Galbatorix released Alianna's hair and continued to speak, "Enough! You are forbidden to leave the castle unless you are accompanied by your guards or Murtagh. Speaking of Murtagh, there is another matter I wish to discuss with you. I've decided that the two of you will be married a month from today."

Alianna was shocked, "A month?? Father, why must I marry Murtagh? I don't love him. To be honest, I don't even like him."

"That does not matter." Galbatorix replied, "This marriage was arranged long ago. You know that."

How could Alianna forget? Her father and Morzan had made the arrangement when Alianna was two and Murtagh was three. Morzan was Murtagh's father. He had also been Galbatorix's right hand man in the days of the Dragon Riders. Morzan was now dead, having been murdered years ago. Alianna had met him only a couple of times. She was quite young when he died, but Alianna remembered him as a very cruel man, almost as cruel as her own father.

She tried not to, but Alianna's eyes began to fill with tears, "But I don't want-"

Galbatorix interrupted, "I don't care what you want. You will marry Murtagh and that's final! Now, run along to the training field. It's time for your swordplay lessons with Murtagh."

"Yes Father" said Alianna quietly.

When Alianna arrived at the training field, she saw that Murtagh was already there. Alianna just shook her head and looked at the one she was being forced to marry. Murtagh certainly was handsome, Alianna would be the first to admit that. But she also found him to be extremely annoying and arrogant. When they were children, Murtagh would constantly tease Alianna and do things to upset her.

"Took you long enough." Murtagh said as Alianna approached him, "What happened princess? Did Daddy yell at you for that scene you made?"

"How do you know about that?" Alianna asked.

"Everyone in the royal court is talking about it." Murtagh replied, "I didn't think you had it in you."

Alianna looked at him strangely, "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Well, to me you've always seemed so…weak…"

"I am NOT weak!" Alianna snapped.

Murtagh drew his sword, "Prove it"

Alianna drew her sword as well and then looked around, "Where's Tornac?" Tornac was their swordplay trainer. He was also Murtagh's closest friend and servant.

"Tornac won't be training us anymore." Murtagh told her, "Galbatorix wants me to train you from now on."

Alianna was surprised, "You? Train me? That's ridiculous! I'm just as good with a sword as you are."

Murtagh smiled, "We'll just see about that."

It was Murtagh that drew the first blow, which Alianna normally would've blocked easily. But being in such a bad mood since talking to her father, she missed it, causing the blow to graze her arm.

"Owww!" Alianna cried out.

Murtagh laughed, "Just as good as me, huh?"

Alianna charged at him in anger. Their sparring continued with this intensity for what seemed like hours. Murtagh clearly had the upper hand that day. But just as Murtagh was about to strike the winning blow, Alianna spoke out.

"Thrysta aptr!"

Those words sent Murtagh flying backward. Alianna couldn't help but laugh.

"You cheated!" Murtagh said with anger as he got up off the ground, "You used magic."

This was true. Alianna had been taught magic by her father and his various sorcerers. But since she wasn't a Dragon Rider, she could use very little of it.

"I did what I had to." Alianna told him.

Murtagh shook his head, "It figures. The only way you can beat me is by cheating."

"Can you be any more arrogant?" Alianna asked, "I can't believe my Father is making me marry you!"

Murtagh replied, "Hey, I'm not exactly thrilled about this either. Do you think I enjoy know that I'm going to have to spend the rest of my life with a spoiled, bratty princess?"

"Spoiled? I'm far from spoiled. You know how my Father treats me. That man is pure evil. I can't believe his blood runs through my veins."

"We don't get to choose our father." Murtagh told her. He of all people would know that, "So stop complaining."

"I'm not complaining." Alianna said, "God, I can't even talk to you. I'm leaving."

Alianna turned around and began to walk away. Suddenly, she felt the point of Murtagh's sword against her back.

"Never turn your back on an opponent." he said.

Alianna turned her head around and looked at Murtagh, "Do I need to use magic on you again?"

Murtagh dropped his sword.

"I didn't think so. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other things to do."

"Fine, go ahead and run. Typical…"

"Leave me alone! I don't have to put up with this."

"You're going to have to put up with me for a very long time. See you later princess."

Alianna just rolled her eyes, climbed onto Bella, and rode back to the castle.


	2. Chapter 2

**_7 reviews for chapter 1, wow! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. It really meant a lot to me. I'll admit, I was very nervous about posting this story, but I'm glad people like it. Anyway, on to chapter 2! Not quite as long as chapter 1, but ah well. _**

**_DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters from Eragon. I just own Alianna and a few random people I come up with along the way._**

After taking a long bath, Alianna returned to her bed chambers. Trying to relax and take her mind off of the days events, Alianna took a scroll off the shelf and began to read. Reading was one of Alianna's favorite things to do in her free time. A couple of minutes later, Alianna heard a knock on her door.

"Come in" Alianna said.

In walked Emma, Alianna's chamber maid (Emma had also been Alianna's nanny when she was a child).

"I thought you might like some tea my lady." Emma said as she placed a tray down.

Alianna smiled, "Thank you Emma."

"Your welcome. How did your day go?" Emma asked.

"You mean you haven't heard?" Alianna said, giving Emma a strange look.

Emma nodded her head no. Alianna began to tell her what had happened that morning.

"I think it's a wonderful thing what you did." Emma said afterward.

"Really?" Alianna asked.

Emma nodded, "You're such a good person Alianna. So kind and gentle… not like Galbatorix at all." Emma gasped and quickly put her hand over her mouth, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay Emma" Alianna said gently, "You know you can speak freely with me. I won't tell my father."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you. So… didn't you have your training with Murtagh today? Did that go well at least?"

"Hardly" Alianna said as she took a sip of her tea, "I swear Murtagh's main goal in life is to annoy me."

"You should take it easy on him my lady." Emma told her, "That boy has not had an easy life."

"I know" Alianna sighed, "In that sense, I do feel sorry for him. I know Morzan was terribly abusive and that his mother died when he was very young. But still… I wish my father wasn't making me marry him. I really don't want to. I don't love Murtagh. It's not fair! I should be able to decide for myself who I marry."

Emma gently placed her hand on Alianna's shoulder, "I understand. But give Murtagh a chance dear. Besides, I think the two of you make a lovely couple."

Alianna laughed at the idea, "I don't think so. But I'm stuck with him. Did you hear that my father has set the wedding date for a month from now? A month! I knew Murtagh and I were going to be married eventually, I just didn't think it would be that soon. What am I going to do?"

"I'm afraid there's not much you can do." Emma said, "Just try and make the best of the situation. At least, it will be fun planning your wedding. Especially the dress! Whatever you wear, I'm sure you'll look stunning. You're a beautiful girl."

Alianna turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. She had very dark red hair that flowed a few inches below her shoulders, and brown eyes. Alianna didn't look like her father at all. Galbatorix had black eyes and (while he was nearly bald now) in his younger days had black hair. Alianna figured that she looked like her mother. Suddenly, Alianna became very sad.

Emma looked at her with concern, "What is it dear? Are you ill?"

Alianna shook her head, "No, it's not that. It's just… Emma, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course"

"Did you know my mother?"

"No my lady. I didn't become your nanny until you were three years old."

"But you must have heard something about her."

"I'm sorry. I wish I did. Why do you ask?"

Alianna sighed, "I don't know. I can't help but think that things would have turned out differently if she were around."

"I think you turned out just fine."

"Thank you Emma. I just wish I had known her. I don't even know her name. Nobody ever speaks of her. Whenever I've asked Father, her gets angry and refuses to answer."

"I'm sorry" Emma repeated.

"It's alright" Alianna said, "It's not your fault. Anyway… I think I may lay down for awhile before dinner."

"Alright. Do you need any help?" Emma asked.

Alianna laughed, "Emma, I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm perfectly capable of taking a nap by myself."

Emma nodded, "In that case, I'll be on my way. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"I know." Alianna said, "Thank you Emma."

Alianna changed into a more comfortable dress and then layed down on her bed. She thought about all the things she would have to deal with in the coming weeks as she slowly drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Eragon. Just Alianna and a few random characters I come up with along the way.**

Alianna was awoken by a loud knock on her door.

"Ugh" Alianna thought as she slowly got up and walked over to her door. She opened it and saw that it was one of her servants.

"Yes?" Alianna asked.

"Dinner will be served in one hour my lady." the servant said.

Alianna nodded, "Thank you"

Alianna rummaged through her closet looking for a dress to wear. She had several to choose from. Her father did see to it that she had some of the finest dresses and jewelry in all of Alagaesia. This wasn't because he cared about Alianna and wanted her to have nice things, but so she looked like a proper young princess and wouldn't embarrass him.

_"God forbid he actually care about me." _Alianna thought.

She finally settled on a dark blue cotton dress with lace trim. After fixing her hair and putting on one of her favorite necklaces, Alianna walked out of her room and was then taken down to the dining hall. When she arrived, she saw not only her father standing there, but Murtagh as well.

"What's Murtagh doing here?" Alianna asked.

"I invited him." Galbatorix replied, "Besides, you should get use to eating with Murtagh. He'll be your husband soon enough."

"Don't remind me" Alianna mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing"

The meal was silent, but this was nothing new to Alianna. Galbatorix rarely talked to her during dinner unless it was about something really important. Murtagh didn't say anything either, but every once in awhile Alianna caught him glaring at her.

About halfway through the meal, Alianna wanted some more bread, but noticed that there wasn't any left on the table. She looked around and found a tray of bread on a food cart in the corner of the room. Alianna got up and went over to get it, bringing it back to the table.

"What are you doing?" Galbatorix asked, "Put that down, Alianna! My god, we have servants to do that!"

"I can get my own bread, Father." Alianna said as she put the tray on the table and sat down, "Besides, the servants work hard enough as it is."

"They're servants, that's what they do." Galbatorix replied, "I won't have any more of this talk. You're my daughter and it's time you started acting like it. "

"I'm nothing like you, Father. I never have been and I never will be. Perhaps I take after my mother…"

Galbatorix stood up and slammed his fist down on the table, "I've told you never to speak of her."

"How can I speak of her when I don't know anything about her?" Alianna asked, "Why won't you tell me who she is? What are you trying to hide?"

"That is enough! Do you hear me?" Galbatorix shouted, he then looked at Murtagh, "I hope that when the two of you are married, you'll be able to keep her in line."

Murtagh looked at Alianna and then back at Galbatorix, "Yes my lord…"

Galbatorix sat back down, "Good. We will not discuss this anymore, Alianna. Understand?"

Alianna simply nodded. Just as it looked like Galbatorix was about to speak again, a guard came in and quickly ran over to him.

"Your majesty! I apologize for interrupting your meal, but it's important. There's been an attack on two of our brigades!"

Galbatorix stood up immediately, "What?! By whom?"

"We believe the Varden is behind it." the guard said.

"I must meet with Durza." Galbatorix replied.

Durza was a very powerful Shade (a sorcerer possessed by demonic spirits) and had become Galbatorix's right hand man after Morzan was killed. Without saying another word, Galbatorix and the guard left, leaving Alianna and Murtagh by themselves.

Alianna waited a minute to make sure Galbatorix was really gone, and then said to Murtagh, "I hope you weren't serious when you told my father that you would keep me in line."

"Of course not" Murtagh told her, "If Galbatorix isn't able to do it, I certainly can't."

"And you never will." Alianna replied with an angry look on her face.

"What's the matter now princess?" Murtagh asked, "Are you upset because Galbatorix left?"

"First of all, my name isn't princess!!" Alianna said, "It's Alianna. Second of all, no, I'm not upset because he left. I'm glad he did. I just can't stand being alone in the same room with you."

"Likewise" Murtagh told her.

"You're not going to say something sarcastic?"

"About what?"

"About my father yelling at me."

"No, I'm not."

Alianna was surprised, "Really? Why?"

Murtagh answered, "Because I know what it's like to not have a mother."

The room became silent for a long time. Finally, Alianna got up and began to walk towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Murtagh asked.

Alianna turned around and said, "Not that it's any of your business, but I feel like going for a walk."

"I'll go with you." Murtagh said.

"I don't think so. I'm not going that far anyway."

"We all know what happened the last time you tried to take a walk. Besides, Galbatorix said you couldn't leave the castle unless you were with me or your guards."

"Well, he's busy right now, so he'll never know."

Alianna opened the door and saw all of her guards standing in the hallway. She looked back at Murtagh.

"It's either them or me." Murtagh said with a smirk on his face.

Alianna looked at Murtagh and then at her guards. She rolled her eyes and then looked back at Murtagh, "Lets go"

Alianna and Murtagh walked out into the courtyard. There were several people out and about that night. Many of whom were staring at Alianna and whispering to each other as she and Murtagh walked by. Alianna tried her best to ignore them.

"You don't care that they're talking about you?" Murtagh asked.

Alianna shook her head, "No, not really. I'm use to it."

"You know, you could have those people hanged if you wanted." Murtagh said.

"I know" Alianna replied, "But I would never do that. I refuse to be like my father."

"I understand. So, princess…"

"Why do you insist on calling me that?" Alianna asked, sounding very annoyed.

Murtagh smiled slightly, "Because I know you hate it."

Alianna just shook her head and continued to walk. After awhile, they left the courtyard and walked towards the edge of the forest. They stopped when they came across a particular tree.

"Do you remember this tree?" Murtagh asked.

"Of course" Alianna replied, "I was five and you were six. You told me that if I climbed up that tree and jumped out, that I would be able to fly like a dragon. So, I did it and ended up breaking my arm! I'll never forget the look on your face…"

"Well, I didn't think you'd actually do it!" Murtagh said.

There was a brief pause, and then Alianna and Murtagh both started to laugh.

"I think this is the first time we've ever had a civilized conversation." Alianna said.

Murtagh replied, "Weird, isn't it? Maybe you're not what I thought."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Alianna asked him.

"I've always thought of you as just a stupid…"

Alianna interrupted Murtagh and sounded hurt as she spoke, "I'm not stupid! Don't you ever call me that again!"

"What's the big deal? I've been calling you stupid ever since we were kids."

"That doesn't make it okay! I hear it a million times a day from my father. I don't need to hear it from you too." Alianna began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Murtagh asked.

Alianna turned around, "Away from you. Just leave me alone Murtagh. I hate you. Do you hear me? I HATE YOU!!"

Alianna started to run from Murtagh. Murtagh followed her, but Alianna used magic once again to thrust Murtagh backwards, giving her enough time to slip away from him. She ran deep into the forest until she reached her special hideout. It was nothing fancy, just a small hut where she and Murtagh use to play as kids when they wanted to get away from the castle.

Alianna doubted that Murtagh remembered this place (it had been years since he'd last been there), so she figured it would be a perfect place to hide. She went into the hut, sat down and began to cry. Alianna had been trying not to cry all day and it finally just came out. Tears streamed down her face. After crying for what seemed like hours, Alianna heard footsteps coming towards her. She quickly drew her sword and went outside to see who it was. Alianna put her sword back when she realized that it was just Murtagh.

Murtagh breathed a sigh of relief, "I have been looking for you everywhere! I… what's the matter with you? Have you been crying?"

"Maybe" Alianna said.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous it was for you to run off like that?" Murtagh asked, "You could've been killed!"

"Like you would even care if I died." Alianna said, "Anyway, I'm fine. I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, sure you can." Murtagh replied.

"How'd you finally find me?" Alianna asked.

"It wasn't easy." Murtagh said, "Then I remembered that this is where we use to play when we were kids. I thought maybe you would come here.

Alianna was surprised, "You actually remember this place?"

"Yes" Murtagh said, "We should head back to the castle."

Alianna agreed, "That's a good idea. I'm tired. Plus, the sooner I get to the castle, the sooner I can get away from you."

Murtagh rolled his eyes, "Would you stop being such a brat?"

"I'm not a brat!" Alianna said.

Alianna and Murtagh continued to argue until they reached the castle and went up to Alianna's bed chambers. Emma was walking by as they arrived.

Emma greeted Alianna and then looked at Murtagh, "It's nice to see you again, Murtagh."

"Hello Emma" Murtagh said.

"Do you need anything my lady?" Emma asked Alianna.

"No" Alianna said, "I feel like being alone right now."

"As you wish." Emma said with a smile as she walked away.

Alianna looked at Murtagh, "You should go."

"Alianna…" Murtagh said.

"Just go!" Alianna shouted as she walked into her chambers and slammed the door in Murtagh's face.


	4. Chapter 4

Alianna awoke the next morning and got dressed. Instead of eating in the dining hall like she usually did, Alianna had her breakfast brought up to her chambers. She didn't want to be anywhere near her father or Murtagh at the moment. Once Alianna was done with breakfast, Emma joined her and the two of them walked downstairs. Emma began to question Alianna about what had happened between her and Murtagh the night before, but Alianna was hesitant.

"It's nothing. Murtagh was just being a jerk as usual." Alianna said.

"You're lying." Emma said.

"How can you tell?"

Emma laughed slightly, "I've known you for a long time my lady. You get this certain look on your face when you're lying. Besides, when I saw you walking in with Murtagh last night, you seemed very troubled."

Alianna was about to tell Emma what really had happened, when a group of men and women approached her and began to measure her all over.

"What are you doing?" Alianna asked.

"We need to measure you." one of the women said. The woman introduced herself as Nicolette.

"For what?"

"For your wedding dress. We also have some of the finest material for you to look at. King Galbatorix wants you to start making the arrangements for your wedding."

_"He certainly doesn't waste any time." _Alianna said to herself.

Alianna thought the men and women would never stop measuring her. Finally, after writing everything down, they lead Alianna to a room where various types of material were layed out across several tables.

"Take your time." Nicolette said as she and the other men and women left the room.

Alianna began to browse through the material. They were all very pretty. Despite feeling extremely upset and overwhelmed, Alianna found herself enjoying planning her wedding dress. She looked around for more than an hour, asking Emma's opinion on the material from time to time.

"I told you this would be fun." Emma said.

"I don't know if fun is the right word for it." Alianna replied as she came across some white satin, "What do you think of this?"

"Beautiful!" Emma told her, "Have you thought about what you want your dress to look like?"

Alianna shook her head no, "Not yet. I've barely had time to think about any of this. Only yesterday Father told me I'd be married in a month and today he's making me do the wedding preparations."

It took awhile, but Alianna finally decided on the white satin for her dress.

"An excellent choice." Nicolette said when Alianna told her what she wanted, "What do you want you dress to look like?"

"I'm not sure." Alianna answered, "I guess something really pretty, but not too fancy."

Nicolette smiled, "Don't worry, I'm sure we can come up with something. We'll be back as soon as your dress is finished." With that being said, Nicolette left.

Alianna then realized that it was nearly time for her training with Murtagh.

"This day just keeps getting better and better." she said sarcastically.

Alianna said goodbye to Emma and went out to the stables to get Bella. Then Alianna (along with her guards) rode off to the training field.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alianna was surprised to see that Murtagh was not at the training field when she arrived. Usually Murtagh was the first one there and would always complain whenever Alianna was late.

Alianna turned to her guards, "You can leave now. Murtagh will be here soon."

"I'm afraid we can't do that my lady." one of the guards said, "We were given our orders. We will stay with you until Murtagh arrives."

"Fine," Alianna sighed.

Ten minutes had passed. Then fifteen. Finally, after twenty minutes, Alianna could see Murtagh riding towards them on his horse.

"And you get mad at me for being late." Alianna said.

Murtagh looked at her with an angry, yet sad expression on his face, but said nothing at first. Alianna dismissed her guards and then turned her attention back to Murtagh.

"About last night…" Alianna said.

"I don't want to talk about it." Murtagh told her.

"But…"

Murtagh snapped, "I said I don't want to talk about it! Lets just get started, shall we?"

"Alright"

"You're not going to use magic on me again, are you?"

"I'll try not to."

Alianna and Murtagh began to spar. Unlike the previous day, Alianna matched Murtagh blow for blow. The only thing that was different, however, was that Alianna and Murtagh didn't argue with each other. They hardly talked at all infact. Alianna thought that this was a bit odd, but she decided not to dwell on it.

By the time their training was done for the day, Alianna was all sweaty and very exhausted. Just as she was about to sit down and rest for a bit, one of Alianna's guards arrived.

"Princess Alianna" the guard said, "Your father wishes to see you."

Alianna nodded and then turned to Murtagh, "I guess I should go."

"I guess so." Murtagh said.

"Will you be joining us for dinner again?"

"Maybe…"

Alianna waited for Murtagh to say more, and when he didn't, she headed back to the castle.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Alianna stepped into her father's chambers, she found that he was in a rare good mood.

"Ah, Alianna," Galbatorix said, "Just who I wanted to see. Did you begin the wedding preparations?"

"Yes" Alianna replied, "By why didn't you tell me?" She preceded to tell him what had happened with the people measuring her for her dress.

"That doesn't matter." Galbatorix said, "You have a lot to do before the wedding. See to it that it gets done."

Alianna nodded, "Yes, Father. But I take it you didn't call me in here just to talk about the wedding."

"You're right." Galbatorix replied, "Alianna, you're 17 now. I think it's about time you go down to where the dragon eggs are and see if one of them will hatch for you."

Alianna was surprised, "Do you really think I could be a Dragon Rider?"

"Why do you think I've had you training? Teaching you magic and the ancient language? We're going to need a Rider to help defeat the Varden."

Alianna would never agree to serve her father like that and kill thousands of innocent people, but she didn't dare say that to him. Instead she followed Galbatorix down to the room where the dragon eggs were held. The room was heavily guarded of course. Nobody was allowed in unless Galbatorix was with them. They entered, and there, in the middle of the room lay two beautiful dragon eggs- one red and one green. There had been a third egg (a blue one), but it had been stolen years ago- long before Alianna was even born.

"Go on." Galbatorix ordered.

Alianna nervously approached the eggs and bent down to touch them. She ran her hand across the green egg first, and then the red one. Then, there was nothing to do but wait. She waited for what seemed like hours, but nothing happened. Alianna sighed and realized that neither of the eggs were going to hatch for her. She wasn't going to be a Dragon Rider.

Alianna looked up at her father. She could see how angry and disappointed he was.

"Father…"

"Get out!" Galbatorix shouted.

"What?" Alianna asked.

"Get out of my sight!"

"I guess I'm just not meant to be a Dragon Rider." Alianna said softly as she left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Eragon. Just Alianna and a few random people I make up along the way. **

**_Authors Note: Sorry for the delay! I would've had this chapter up sooner, but this site was being a pain and wouldn't let me upload anything. Anyway, enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated :)_**

****

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

The days went by quickly. Alianna and Murtagh's wedding was just one week away. Alianna was busy making all of the final preparations. After checking on the flowers, Alianna sat down and went over the guest list. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw it- nearly 200 people had been invited!

"I don't even know most of these people." Alianna said to Emma, "They're mostly people that Father knows."

Emma smiled faintly, but said nothing.

"I'm sorry Emma. All I've been doing the last couple of weeks is complaining to you. You must be sick of hearing me by now.

"I could never be sick of hearing you." Emma told her, "Besides, I understand how hard this has all been for you. You know you can always talk to me."

Alianna smiled, "I know. You know what Emma? Why don't you take the rest of the day off. You look tired."

"I'll be fine."

"I insist."

"But…"

"Don't worry. If my father or anyone else gives you a hard time, let me know and I'll deal with it."

"Thank you my lady."

"Your welcome" Alianna said.

After Alianna was finished with the guest list, she decided to take a break and walk around the castle for a bit. Just as she was about to get up, she heard a familiar voice come from behind her.

"Well well, look who it is…"

Alianna turned around and saw Murtagh glaring at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Alianna asked.

"Did you forget?"

"Forget what?"

"We were suppose to have our training more than an hour ago!"

"I've been busy." Alianna told him.

"Busy with what?" Murtagh asked.

"Planning our wedding!" Alianna replied.

Murtagh seemed surprised, "You've been planning it?"

"Believe me, if I had a choice, I wouldn't have anything to do with it." Alianna said, "This was my father's idea."

Murtagh nodded, then asked, "Did you get your dress yet?"

"Why do you care?" Alianna snapped.

"You don't have to be so snotty." Murtagh said, I was just asking you a question."

"I'm really not in the mood to talk to you right now." Alianna said as she walked away.

Murtagh followed her, "I can see that."

"Don't you have anything better to do than follow me?" Alianna asked.

"Don't you have anything better to do than act like a spoiled brat?" Murtagh replied, "It wasn't my idea to marry you."

"It wasn't mine either." Alianna said, "It was my Father's and Morzan's brilliant idea and I hate them for it! More than I hate you! You're nothing but a…"

Murtagh shook his head, "You are unbelievable, you know that? I wish I never knew you. Remember when you said I wouldn't care if you died? You're right. I wish you were dead!"

Alianna was both stunned and hurt. She took her sword and handed it to Murtagh.

"Fine," she said, "Go ahead, kill me."

"What??" Murtagh asked, shocked.

Alianna grabbed Murtagh by the arm, making him hold the sword to her throat, "Go on, kill me! I know you want to. Besides, I'd rather be dead than married to you."

Murtagh hesitated.

"Just do it!!" Alianna said with tears in her eyes.

Murtagh just stared at Alianna intensely for a minute or two. Finally, he dropped the sword.

"I… I can't." Murtagh said as he gave the sword back to Alianna.

"Figures you wouldn't be able to do it." Alianna said, "I…" It was then that Alianna happened to glance over and notice that a large group of people were staring at them.

Suddenly, Alianna's guards rushed over to her.

"What's going on, my lady?" asked Argus, her head guard.

"Murtagh!" said one of the servants, "He was trying to kill the princess!! I saw him with a sword to her throat!"

No sooner were those words out of the servants' mouth, than two guards seized Murtagh.

Argus looked at Alianna, "Is that what happened? Tell me the truth my lady and I'll see to it that Murtagh is hanged immediately."

Alianna thought for a moment. She knew that she could lie and say that Murtagh did try to kill her. Then he would be out of her life forever and she wouldn't have to worry about marrying him.

But instead, Alianna looked at Murtagh and said to Argus, "No, Murtagh didn't try to kill me. It was all just a big misunderstanding."

"Are you sure?" Argus asked.

"Yes," Alianna replied. She looked over at the two guards that held Murtagh, "Release him."

After the guards released Murtagh, Alianna quickly dismissed them.

Murtagh walked up to her and said, "Why…"

Alianna interrupted him, "Don't say anything. Just get out of here before I change my mind."

Murtagh just nodded and walked away. Alianna sighed and got back to work on the wedding preparations.


	6. Chapter 6

It was finally Alianna and Murtagh's wedding day. The servants were busy putting the finishing touches on the decorations and flowers in the chapel. The cooks were preparing all the food for the reception.

Alianna was up in her chambers. She slipped into her wedding dress, which had arrived just three days earlier. What a beautiful dress it was! It was made out of white satin. The top was short sleeved and off the shoulder. At the center of the dress was a satin corset with a panel in the back. The corset was laced with white ribbons. And the train of the dress was chapel length. Next, Alianna styled her hair (with Emma's help) into long waves and added a few small, white flowers as the finishing touch. Finally, Alianna put on her favorite necklace. It was a beautiful locket with a small sapphire stone in the middle. Alianna had no idea where she had gotten it from- she'd had it for as long as she could remember. She just assumed her father had given it to her when she was younger.

"Well, what do you think?" Alianna asked Emma as she turned around and faced her.

Emma had a huge smile on her face as she spoke, "You look beautiful! You know, helping you get ready reminds me of when I got married."

Alianna nodded, but didn't say much for fear of bringing back painful memories for Emma. Emma's husband, Selwin (a former blacksmith), had been killed almost five years ago while being forced to serve in Galbatorix's army.

Alianna decided to change the subject, "Do you really think I look beautiful?"

"Yes, of course," Emma said, "Why don't you take a look for yourself?"

Alianna slowly walked over to her mirror. She'd never really considered herself beautiful, even though many people thought she was. But as she looked in the mirror, Alianna was surprised. She liked how her dress looked on her. Suddenly, it hit Alianna that this wedding was really going to happen. She started to cry.

"What's wrong dear?" Emma asked her.

"I can't do this!" Alianna sobbed, "I can't go through with this Emma. Murtagh and I don't love each other. I don't want to be married to someone I don't love. There must be a way out of this."

"If there were," Emma said, "Believe me, I'd tell you. But I'm afraid there's nothing you can do. You just need to try and make the best of the situation. Here," She handed Alianna a handkerchief.

Alianna wiped the tears from her face and said, "Thanks. I guess we better get to the chapel.

"I can't come with you, Alianna." Emma said.

Alianna was shocked, "What?!?! What do you mean you can't come? Emma, this is my wedding. You have to be there!"

"Galbatorix has ordered that no servant be allowed into the ceremony." Emma told her.

"But I don't consider you a servant." Alianna replied, "You're my friend. The only one I have. I want you to be there. I don't care what Father says. Lets go."

Alianna and Emma walked out into the hallway where they were met by Argus and the rest of Alianna's guards.

Argus looked at Emma and said, "You aren't allowed…"

Alianna interrupted him, "I told Emma she could come."

Argus continued, "But your father said…"

"I'm aware of what my father said." Alianna told him, "But this is MY wedding. I want Emma to be there and she will be."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that." Argus said.

"Do you dare disobey my orders?" Alianna asked angrily, "Emma is coming to my wedding. And if you say another word against it, you'll be relieved of your duties permanently. Have I made myself clear?"

Argus nodded, "Yes, my lady."

"Good," Alianna said, "Now, lets get to the chapel." She then mumbled, "I want to get this over with as quickly as possible."

The guards led Alianna out to a horse drawn carriage that would take them to the chapel. During the short ride there, Emma kept trying to reassure Alianna that everything would be okay. But it didn't work. Alianna still felt very scared and nervous. When they arrived at the chapel, Emma quietly slipped into a seat in the back while Alianna went off to meet with her father, who wanted to talk to her.

Alianna found her father in one of the back rooms dressed in his best formalwear.

"You wished to see me?" Alianna asked.

"You're here, good." Galbatorix said.

"What other choice did I have?" Alianna replied.

Galbatorix ignored what Alianna said and continued, "I expect you to be on your best behavior today. You better not make a scene."

"I won't." Alianna said.

Alianna and Galbatorix made their way down the hall to the main entrance of the chapel. Not once did Galbatorix compliment Alianna on how nice she looked or say anything that a father would normally say to his daughter on her wedding day. When they finally arrived at the main entrance, the doors were slowly opened.

The chapel was decorated beautifully with dozens of red roses and white candles. Alianna looked up and saw Murtagh standing near the altar. He was wearing a dark blue tunic and a black vest with black pants. Suddenly, Alianna started panicking again and quickly looked all around.

"I have guards posted at every exit." Galbatorix told her, "Don't even think about running away."

Alianna took a deep breath and slowly made her way down the aisle. It took all the strength that she had in her not to start crying. When she reached the altar, Alianna saw that Murtagh looked just as unhappy as she did. She sighed and took her place next to him.

The ceremony went by fairly quickly. Alianna and Murtagh said their vows and soon they were bounded together for life. Their kiss at the end of the ceremony was something Alianna had been dreading. But to Alianna's surprise, Murtagh was a pretty good kisser. A strange feeling suddenly came over Alianna. She tried to ignore it as she and Murtagh made their way down the aisle, out of the chapel, and into the carriage.

"So," Murtagh said as they rode back to the castle.

"So" Alianna said.

Murtagh looked over her, "You look… interesting…"

Alianna replied, "Thank you. So do you."

Alianna and Murtagh didn't say much else to each other until they arrived at the castle. From there, Alianna's guards escorted them down to the large banquet hall where the reception was to take place.

"Well…" Murtagh said.

"Well what?" Alianna asked.

"What do we do now?"

"We go in there." Alianna told him, "We smile and we pretend like we're happy."

"I'm not sure if I can do that." Murtagh said.

"I don't like this anymore than you do." Alianna replied as she hooked her arm into Murtagh's, "Lets get this over with."

The doors to the banquet hall were opened and two hundred people stood and cheered as Alianna and Murtagh made their way to their table. As they sat down, Alianna looked around and saw that here father wasn't there.

"Excuse me," Alianna said to Argus as he walked by, "Have you seen my father?"

"He had other business to attend to, my lady." Argus replied.

Alianna just nodded as Argus walked away.

"That doesn't surprise me." Murtagh said, "He just wanted to stay long enough to make sure we actually went through with it." He looked at Alianna, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Alianna told him, sounding very annoyed.

"I was just asking. Calm down!"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Alianna said, "Just because you're my husband now doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do!"

Murtagh shook his head, "Here we go again. You are such a-"

They were interrupted by a man who approached them. Alianna recognized him as one of her father's sorcerers. His name was Gavriel.

"Congratulations," Gavriel said.

"Thank you," Alianna replied.

Gavriel turned to Murtagh, "You two make a wonderful couple. I'm sure it won't be long before we see some children of yours running around here."

Alianna nearly choked on the wine she was drinking when Gavriel said that. Both Murtagh and Gavriel looked at her.

"Sorry," she said, "I must've drank to fast."

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The reception went on long into the night. There was tons of food, wine, and music. After Alianna and Murtagh had said goodbye to the last of their guests, they went up to their new bed chambers. Alianna went back behind her screen to change into her night clothes. She slipped into a long, light blue silk nightgown. When Alianna came back out, she looked up and froze. Murtagh was standing there shirtless. He had his back turned to her, so she was able to see his horrible scar. The scar stretched from his right shoulder all the way down to his left hip. Alianna's eyes filled with tears. She knew the story behind how Murtagh got that scar. When Murtagh was just three years old, Morzan threw his sword, Zar'roc, at him, causing Murtagh's back to be split open. Murtagh probably would've died had it not been for a healer nearby. The whole thing made Alianna sad whenever she thought about it. She couldn't imagine how anyone could do that to their own child.

"What are you looking at?" Murtagh asked as he turned around.

"Nothing," Alianna said.

"Yeah, right." Murtagh replied, "I don't know what the big deal is. You've seen my scar before."

"I know." Alianna said, "Look, you're not exactly my favorite person in the world. I just feel sorry for you about what happened."

"I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me!" Murtagh snapped.

"Fine," Alianna sighed, "I won't then."

Alianna pulled down the covers and got into bed. When Murtagh tried to get into bed as well, Alianna pushed him away.

"What are you doing?" Alianna asked.

"I'm tired and I want to go to sleep." Murtagh replied.

"Not in this bed you won't!" Alianna told him.

"Where am I suppose to sleep then?" Murtagh asked.

Alianna grabbed a pillow and a blanket and threw them on the floor, "Here!"

Murtagh looked at her strangely, "Are you kidding me?"

Alianna sat up, "Do I look like I'm kidding?"

Murtagh just shook his head and layed down on the floor. Alianna leaned over and blew out the candle on the nightstand. She sighed and then pulled the covers over her and went to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Alianna woke up to find Murtagh sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, staring at her. Instead of questioning him about it, Alianna just sat up and got out of bed.

"How long have you been up?" Alianna asked.

"Awhile," Murtagh replied, "You slept a long time."

"I was tired." Alianna said as she picked out a dress from her closet. She was about to go and get changed when she noticed that Murtagh was grimacing as he put his shirt on.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." Murtagh said.

Alianna knew he was lying, "It's your back again, isn't it?" She knew that because of that horrible scar, Murtagh would get these crippling pains in his back from time to time. Alianna remembered it had happened once after one of their swordplay lessons.

"I told you last night," Murtagh said, "I don't need you feeling sorry for me."

Alianna sighed, "Look, I'm trying to be nice for once." She stepped closer to him, "Does it hurt a lot?"

"Sometimes," Murtagh told her, "But I've learned to deal with it."

"I wonder why it happened this time." Alianna said. It had been awhile since Murtagh's back had hurt him like this.

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe it's because you made me sleep on the hard floor last night!"

Alianna shook her head, "It's too early to fight with you. I'm going to get dressed and then we can head down for breakfast."

Alianna dressed quickly and then she and Murtagh walked down to the dining hall, getting a few strange glances from some of the servants along the way. When they got there, Alianna and Murtagh were told that Galbatorix would not be joining them. From what Alianna could gather, Galbatorix was busy planning an attack on some small village believed to be shipping supplies to and aiding the Varden.

"Good," Alianna said, "I really didn't feel like dealing with him right now."

"For once, we agree on something." Murtagh replied as he sat down at the table.

Alianna and Murtagh said very little to each other as they ate their breakfast. Once she was done eating, Alianna stood up.

"Where are you going?" Murtagh asked.

"I thought I might go down to the library and read for awhile." Alianna replied, "I guess I'll see you later at the training field?"

"Okay," Murtagh said.

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As Alianna walked down to the library, she saw two girls, Lavina and Gracelyn, from the royal court (both of whom were about Alianna's age) who appeared to be talking about her. Alianna hid in a corner and listened in.

"I can't believe Alianna and Murtagh are married." Lavina said, "I should've been the one to marry Murtagh instead of that stuck up princess."

"Keep your voice down!" replied Gracelyn, "Someone might hear you. Besides, you never had a chance with him. Their marriage was arranged a long time ago."

"I guess you're right." Lavina said, "Murtagh would never willingly marry Alianna. Who would?" The two girls started to laugh.

Alianna couldn't take it anymore. She walked out from behind the corner and approached Lavina and Gracelyn.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Princess Alianna." Lavina and Gracelyn said as they bowed down.

"How are you?" Gracelyn asked.

"I'm fine." Alianna said, "In the future though, I would appreciate it if you made sure I wasn't around when you talked about me."

Lavina gave Alianna a strange look, "I don't know what you mean, my lady."

"It's not very wise of you to lie to me." Alianna told her, "If you ask me, you're the one who's stuck up." She looked over at Gracelyn, "Both of you actually." When neither of them spoke, Alianna continued, "I suggest that you leave here immediately."

Lavina and Gracelyn simply nodded and began to walk away. Alianna glanced over at a nearby fountain and suddenly had an idea.

"Thrysta du adurna (thrust/compress the water)," she said softly.

With those words, water came out of the fountain in the shape of a large ball. Alianna sent it flying in the direction of Lavina and Gracelyn. The water splashed down on the two of them, soaking their dresses. Alianna couldn't help but smile as she watched Lavina and Gracelyn scream.

"Oops," Alianna chucked as she walked away.

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Alianna spent a good hour in the library reading books about the ancient language and the history of Alagaesia. She would have stayed longer, but people began to speak about what Alianna had done to Lavina and Gracelyn. Normally, Alianna didn't care too much about people staring or talking about her, but for some reason, it was bothering her then.

Needing someone to talk to, Alianna went straight to the servant's quarters and knocked on Emma's door.

"Who is it?" Emma asked.

"Emma, it's me." Alianna said, "Can I come in?"

Emma opened the door, "Of course you can. But what are you doing here? You should be spending time with your husband. Is everything alright?"

Alianna sighed as she entered Emma's room and sat down, "No, not really." She told Emma all about what had happened on the way to the library.

"I thought you didn't care about what other people say about you." Emma said.

"I don't," Alianna replied, "It's just, I don't know… this time it was different."

Emma smiled, "I think I know why."

"Why?" Alianna asked.

"I think you got upset because deep down, you really love Murtagh."

"No I don't." Alianna told her, "And I know he doesn't love me."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"What makes you say that?"

"Think about it." Emma said, "Remember that night you and Murtagh had that fight and you ran off into the forest? If Murtagh didn't love you, than he wouldn't have bothered looking for you. Or what about when you got so upset that you asked Murtagh to kill you? He had the chance to do it, but he didn't. Murtagh does love you dear; he just has a strange way of showing it."

Emma was right, thought Alianna didn't want to admit it. She had noticed how strange Murtagh had been acting lately.

"I don't know what to do." Alianna said.

"It's a lovely day." Emma replied, "Maybe you and Murtagh could go for a walk? It would give the two of you a chance to get to know each other."

"We already know each other."

"I mean REALLY know each other. It wouldn't hurt to try, my lady. I'm sure Murtagh isn't as bad as you think he is."

"I'll think about it." Alianna said, "I guess I better get going. Thanks Emma."

Emma smiled, "Anytime, my lady."

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Alianna walked out to the training field. This time however, her guards did not accompany her. She had somehow managed to sneak past them. When Alianna arrived, as usual, Murtagh was already there.

Murtagh looked at her strangely, "Where are your guards?"

"I didn't need them." Alianna said, "It was just a short walk. Nothing bad was going to happen."

"Don't be so sure." Murtagh told her, "Galbatorix isn't exactly well liked. What if the Varden has spies around here? If they knew you, Galbatorix's daughter, were walking around by yourself, they might try and kill you. "

Alianna replied, "I doubt the Varden even know I exist. Most people outside of Uru'baen don't. Besides, I can take care of myself. "

Murtagh shook his head, "Whatever you say." He drew his sword, shall we get started?"

Alianna stepped closer to him, "Actually, I thought we might skip training for today."

"But…"

"Murtagh, we've been training for years. We usually match each other blow for blow. There's not much more we can learn. So, I think it wouldn't hurt to miss a day."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Murtagh asked.

"We could take a walk."

"Why would I want to do that? I remember very well what happened the last time we went for a walk."

"I won't run away this time."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

They decided to take a short walk around the courtyard. But just as they were about to head out, Alianna and Murtagh saw Evander approaching.

"The King wishes to see you." Evander said.

Alianna assumed that her father had heard about what she had done earlier that day. She took a step forward.

"Not you." Evander said. He turned to Murtagh, "You."

"Why does he want to see me?" Murtagh asked.

"All I know is that he wishes to meet with you privately." Evander told him.

While Murtagh went with Evander, Alianna was escorted back to her chambers by her guards. She wondered what her father wanted to talk to Murtagh about.

_"Whatever it is," _Alianna thought, _"It can't be good."_

Hours went by and Murtagh still hadn't returned. Alianna began to pace back and forth across the room. She had a really bad feeling about all of this. Whenever her father wanted to meet with someone, it usually wasn't a good thing.

_"I hope Murtagh is alright. Wait a minute, why am I so worried? This is crazy. I don't love him…"_

Finally, Alianna heard the door open and in walked Murtagh. He had a strange look on his face as he approached her.

"You've been gone for hours!" Alianna said, "What happened?"

Murtagh looked up at her, "Galbatorix wants me to serve him."

"What?!?!" Alianna asked as her eyes widened, "You didn't agree to it, did you?"

"I did," Murtagh replied.

"Are you mad? Why would you do something like that?"

"You don't understand." Murtagh said, "Galbatorix told me of his plans. You should've heard him! He's going to rebuild the Empire."

"What are you talking about?"

"Galbatorix is planning on bringing about peace to everyone. He's going to build beautiful cities all over the country. And here's the best part- he's going to bring back the Dragon Riders!"

Alianna couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Lies! All lies! He only said those things in order to get you to serve him. I know my father. He doesn't want to rebuild the Empire- he wants to destroy it! He'll have you out there destroying villages and killing thousands of innocent people. It's a trap! Can't you see that?"

"I know what I'm doing." Murtagh said.

"Apparently you don't! How could you be so stupid? You're going to get yourself killed! If you do this, then you're no better than Morzan!"

The second those words were out of her mouth, Alianna regretted them.

"I'm nothing like him!" Murtagh shouted, "Don't you ever say that again! I don't get you Alianna. One minute you hate me and now here you are pretending like you care about me. Make up your mind!"

Alianna replied, "If I really hated you then I would've had you killed when I had the chance. I…"

All of a sudden, Murtagh pulled Alianna towards him and started kissing her. Alianna was shocked and had every intention of pushing Murtagh away, but somehow she couldn't. Instead, she began kissing him back. Their kiss lasted another minute or two and then they broke apart. Alianna and Murtagh just stood there, not knowing what to say to each other at first. Finally, Alianna spoke.

"You kissed me!"

"You kissed me back. I guess we don't hate each other as much as we thought."

"Why did you do it?"

"Ever since that night where you ran off and I had to go look for you, I felt…"

"Do you care about me?" Alianna asked.

"I never thought I'd say this, but yes. You're stubborn, strong willed, and always getting into trouble. But I realize now that you're all that I have. I never want anything bad to happen to you."

Alianna's eyes filled with tears, "That's probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." There was a long, awkward silence before she spoke again, "I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it. I know you're nothing like Morzan. I'm just worried about you. When you met with my father, you didn't swear any oaths in the ancient language, did you?"

"No," Murtagh told her.

Alianna breathed a sigh of relief, "Good." If he had, then there would be no way out of it, "So, what does my father want you to do?"

"Nothing at the moment." Murtagh said, "He told me he would call upon me when the need arises."

"What does that mean?" Alianna asked.

"I don't know." Murtagh replied.

Alianna simply nodded, "Well, I think I'll retire for the evening."

"Me too."

Alianna went and changed into her nightgown. When she came back out, she saw Murtagh holding a pillow and a blanket and preparing to lay them on the floor. Alianna walked over and stopped him.

"Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we slept in the same bed. As long as you don't try anything."

"I won't," Murtagh assured her.

Both Alianna and Murtagh smiled at each other. They both got into bed and were asleep a few minutes later.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Eragon. Just Alianna and a few random people I come up with along the way...**

A month had passed. Alianna took Emma's advice and spent time really getting to know Murtagh. They were inseparable, the two of them. They spent many hours just walking around and talking. Alianna realized that she had been wrong about Murtagh all these years. Even though he had teased and tormented her ever since they were kids, Alianna knew (as Emma had said) that that had probably just been his strange way of showing her he liked her.

One day, as Alianna and Murtagh were walking near the training field, Alianna asked, "Have you spoken with my father lately?"

Murtagh shook his head, "No, have you?"

Alianna told him she hadn't. Infact, she rarely saw her father at all lately. He was always busy conversing with Durza and planning more attacks on various villages.

Alianna was glad her father hadn't talked to Murtagh. She still couldn't convince Murtagh that he was wrong about her and his supposed vision for the Empire. Eventually, Alianna came to realize that Murtagh would just have to figure it out on his own. She just hoped that he wouldn't find out the hard way.

Not wanting to start another argument, Alianna changed the subject and asked Murtagh if he would like to spar for a little while.

"Alright," Murtagh said, "But this time, I'm not going to take it easy on you."

Alianna knew that he was referring to their sparring yesterday and laughed, "You didn't take it easy on me. I beat you and you know it!"

"I let you win." Murtagh replied.

Alianna laughed again and kissed him. They sparred for about an hour before heading back to the castle for lunch. About halfway back, Alianna stopped and realized that she was missing something. She reached up and felt around her neck.

"Oh no!" Alianna said.

"What's wrong?" Murtagh asked.

"My necklace!" Alianna replied, "It's gone. I must have dropped it somewhere. We have to find it."

"I doubt we will." Murtagh told her, "We've been walking for awhile now. It could be anywhere. I'm sure you can have another one made just like it."

"No I can't!"

"You told me that you don't even remember where you got it from. What's so special about this necklace?"

"I don't know. I just feel that, for some reason, it's important. Please help me look for it?"

Murtagh sighed, "Alright. Maybe it's back at the training field. We could try looking there."

Alianna and Murtagh went back to the training field and searched high and low. They looked for a long time and Alianna was about to give up, when she heard Murtagh speak.

"I found it!"

Alianna breathed a sigh of relief as she walked over to Murtagh and saw that he had the necklace in his hand.

"Where did you find it?" Alianna asked.

"It was right near this tree." Murtagh explained, "It must've fallen off while we were sparring." He turned the necklace over and looked at it strangely, "There's an inscription on the back."

"I know. I can't figure out what it means though."

"Is it written in the ancient language?"

"If it is, I've never heard of these words."

Murtagh just shrugged, and put the necklace back on Alianna, "You really don't know where you got this?"

"No," Alianna said.

"Maybe it belonged to your mother."

Alianna turned away with a sad look on her face.

"I'm sorry," Murtagh said, "I shouldn't have…"

"It's alright," Alianna told him.

"You miss her, don't you?"

"I do. I know that sounds crazy, considering I never knew her."

"It's not crazy at all." Murtagh said, "I miss my mother too."

"At least you got to spend time with her, even if it was only for a little while."

Murtagh just nodded and the two of them headed back to the castle. They were greeted by Evander when they got inside, who told them that Galbatorix wanted to see Murtagh immediately. This time, Alianna insisted on going with him.

When Alianna and Murtagh arrived at Galbatorix's chambers, they saw that the king was in a terrible rage. He was throwing things all around and cursing left and right. From what Evander had told them, the Varden had destroyed three brigades in the south.

"Stay back," Murtagh whispered to Alianna.

Alianna nodded and said, "Be careful."

Alianna stood in the corner of the room. Her father hadn't noticed she was there yet. She watched in fear as Murtagh approached him.

"You wanted to see me my lord?" Murtagh asked.

Galbatorix charged at him, "Murtagh! I want you to lead a group of troops and destroy the village of Cantos!"

Alianna had heard of Cantos. It was a small village where rebels from the Varden were known to hide occasionally.

Murtagh continued, "But sir, what should we do with all those people there? How do we know who's guilty and who's not?"

"Kill them all!" Galbatorix shouted, "They're all traitors! Cut out their hearts; burn them at the stake… I don't care!"

Alianna couldn't believe what she was hearing. She wouldn't allow this to happen. Killing innocent people wasn't right and she didn't want Murtagh to be put in danger as well. She walked right over and stood next to Murtagh.

"Father you can't do this!" Alianna said in an angry tone.

"Alianna, what are you doing here?" Galbatorix asked, "Get out! This doesn't concern you."

"Yes it does!" Alianna said, "Murtagh is my husband and I won't allow you to put him in danger by sending him on this insane mission of yours. You can't destroy Cantos."

"I am king… I can do whatever I want!"

"This isn't right Father. Those people have done nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong??? They're traitors! They're harboring our enemies."

"YOUR enemies Father, not mine. I won't be part of your madness."

"If you were not my only heir, I would've killed you just now for that little speech of yours. You stupid little wench!"

Alianna started to cry as she spoke, "I'm not stupid!"

"Yes you are," Galbatorix replied, "I had hoped for a son, instead I got stuck with you. You are nothing but an embarrassment to me. You're weak. And to think you will take the throne when I'm gone… ha! You're not fit to rule the Empire. You pathetic…"

Alianna was sobbing heavily at that point.

Murtagh couldn't take it anymore. She stepped in front of Alianna to protect her and said, "Stop! Stop it right now! I won't have you speaking to my wife like that."

Galbatorix replied, "She is, above all, MY daughter and I will speak to her as I see fit. Step aside!"

"I'm not going anywhere." Murtagh said.

"How dare you! This will teach you not to interfere…"

Galbatorix began shouting words in the ancient language.

"Jierda…"

"No!!" Alianna shouted as she stepped in front of Murtagh in order to try and block the attack.

The force from the attack was so strong that it knocked Alianna clear across the room. She fell so hard that she got a huge gash on her right arm. The blood from it soaked her sleeve in a matter of seconds.

"Alianna!" Murtagh shouted as he ran over to help her up.

Galbatorix had an evil grin on his face, "Let this be a lesson to both of you." He turned to Murtagh, "As for you, you will take the troops into Cantos at dawn."

Alianna and Murtagh quickly left the room without saying another words and headed back to their chambers.

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"Ouch!" Alianna said as Murtagh wrapped bandages tightly around her arm.

"Sorry," Murtagh said as he finished, "It looks like the bleeding has finally stopped."

"Good," Alianna said.

Murtagh kissed her gently, "I'm so sorry! This is all my fault. I shouldn't have believed him."

"It's not your fault." Alianna told him, "This is what my father does. He tells people what they want to hear in order to get what he wants."

"You could've died…"

"But I didn't." Alianna said with a slight smile, "I'm fine. And I can't thank you enough for what you did. No one has ever stood up for me like that before."

"I'd do it again in an instant." Murtagh said as he kissed Alianna again, "I love you Alianna."

Alianna was a bit shocked at first, but then replied, "I love you too Murtagh."

Murtagh stood up, "Are you well enough to travel?"

"I am," Alianna said, "But why?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking since we left Galbatorix's chambers. Alianna, we can't keep living like this. Galbatorix is pure evil, I realize that now. I'm not going to Cantos and I refuse to serve him. And look how he treats you, his own daughter. Who knows what Galbatorix will do to either of us if we stay. We must leave Uru'baen."

"What are you saying?" Alianna asked.

"I'm saying, we must escape… tonight!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I had a really hard time with one particular scene in this chapter and it took me forever to write it. Speaking of that scene, I wanna thank my friend Heather (aka OpheliaHyde) for helping me with it :) **

**WARNING: This chapter contains sexual content and some violence, although I don't think it's enough for me to give the chapter an M rating. **

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"Are you serious?" Alianna asked, "But how are we going to do that? Where will we go?"

"I don't know yet." Murtagh told her, "I'm going to speak with Tornac and see what he thinks. He'll probably come with us."

Alianna nodded, "I should start packing."

"We won't be able to bring much, so only pack what you need."

"Alright."

"I'm going to see Tornac now." Murtagh said, "I should be back in an hour or two." He kissed Alianna, "Everything's going to be okay."

After Murtagh left, Alianna took out a bag and began to pack. She only packed some clothes and a few small things that she couldn't bear to leave behind. Just as she was finishing up, Alianna heard a knock on the door. She froze in fear, thinking that it might be her father or one of her guards.

"Who is it?"

"Alianna it's me, Emma. May I come in dear?"

Alianna breathed a sigh of relief, "Of course you can."

"I just heard what happened and came to see if you were alright." Emma said as she entered the room. She saw the bag on Alianna and Murtagh's bed, "What's going on?"

Alianna looked all around, including out into the hall, ""Did anyone follow you here?"

"No my lady." Emma replied.

Alianna shut the door and locked it, "Still, just to be safe- Atra nosu waise vardo fra eld hornya (let us be warded from listeners)."

"Are you going with Murtagh to Cantos?" Emma asked.

Alianna nodded no, "No, I'm not. In fact, Murtagh isn't going to Cantos. We're escaping tonight."

Emma's eyes widened, "Alianna, that's dangerous! You know what your father is capable of. If he finds out…"

"We don't have any choice!" Alianna told her, "I'm tired of living like this and so is Murtagh. We need to find a better life for ourselves."

Alianna saw that Emma looked deeply upset. She could understand why. Ever since Alianna was three years old, Emma had been the main person who raised her. The two of them were so close that if you didn't know them, you would think that they were mother and daughter.

Suddenly, Alianna had an idea, "Emma, come with us."

"What?" Emma asked.

"Please come. I'd hate to leave you behind."

Emma sighed, "I'd love to come with you Alianna, but I can't."

"Why not?"

"You know that Selwin is buried nearby. I can't leave him."

Alianna tried to fight back the tears.

Emma continued, "Alianna, this doesn't mean that I don't love you, I do. You've always been like a daughter to me. I hope you'll understand though why I can't go with you."

Although Alianna started to cry, she did understand what Emma was trying to tell her. She knew how much Emma had loved Selwin and still loved him to this day. Alianna would do the same thing if god forbid something happened to Murtagh.

"I guess this will be the last time we ever see each other then." Alianna said sadly.

Emma walked over and hugged Alianna, "You and Murtagh are going to be just fine. You're both so strong and I know you can take care of yourselves." Emma let go of her, "I guess I better get going. I'm sure you have a lot to do before tonight."

Alianna cried as she hugged Emma. Just as Emma was about to leave though, Alianna stopped her.

"Emma, wait!" Alianna said as she went over to her jewelry box, pulled out a beautiful pearl bracelet, and handed it to Emma, "I want you to have this."

"Alianna, this is your best bracelet." Emma said, "I can't accept this."

"I want you to have it. It's my way of saying thank you for everything you've done."

"Thank you," Emma said as she started to cry, "I really should go now." She gave Alianna one last hug, said goodbye and then left.

A few minutes after Emma left, Murtagh came back.

"What's wrong?" Murtagh asked Alianna, who was sitting on their bed crying.

Alianna told Murtagh what just happened with Emma.

"I'm sorry," Murtagh said, "I know how close you and Emma are." He walked over and kissed Alianna, "Perhaps someday, if Galbatorix is ever defeated, we can return."

"Every year, my father becomes more and more powerful. I don't think he'll ever be defeated. We're never going to be able to return!"

"What are you trying to tell me? Are you having second thoughts? Look, Tornac and I are leaving tonight. If you don't want to come, I'll understand."

"Of course I want to come. I'm just scared, that's all."

"I know you are." Murtagh said as he sat next to Alianna and held her.

Alianna leaned in and softly kissed Murtagh on the lips. Murtagh responded and then began placing kisses down Alianna's neck. Alianna let out a soft moan. At one time, Alianna would've sent Murtagh flying across the room if he had tried what he was doing at that moment. Now she welcomed his touch. It made Alianna feel safe and loved.

Suddenly, Alianna could feel Murtagh's hand slip down her thigh. Murtagh stopped then and looked at her, but Alianna didn't say anything.

"Are you sure?" Murtagh asked.

Alianna nodded and kissed him, "Make love to me."

Alianna was surprised to hear those words come out of her mouth and that she meant it. Although she and Murtagh had become very close over the last month, the most Alianna had ever let him do was kiss her. It had taken awhile, but now Alianna completely trusted Murtagh and (although she was a little scared) was looking forward to what they were about to do.

Murtagh undid the buttons of Alianna's dress, kissing the exposed skin as he worked his way down. Before long, all of their clothes lay in a pile next to their bed.

"I love you." Murtagh whispered.

Murtagh hovered above Alianna and held her close. This was it- there was no turning back. Alianna began to tremble.

Murtagh brushed his hand against Alianna's cheek and tried to calm her down, although he was nervous as well. Finally, Alianna and Murtagh became one. Alianna gasped at the feeling. It was a little awkward and it hurt at first, but the pain went away after a minute or two and Alianna began to enjoy it. This felt so right, being together with Murtagh. It was like they were made for each other, even though a few months ago Alianna wouldn't have thought so.

Soon, it was all over. Murtagh held Alianna in his arms and stroked her hair gently.

"Wow," was all that Alianna was able to say as she rested her head against Murtagh's chest. Then the two of them slowly drifted off to sleep.

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Alianna and Murtagh woke up a few hours later. They kissed each other before getting up and getting dressed. Alianna looked up at Murtagh. She had never felt so happy and yet so scared at the same time. In just a few hours, they would be leaving Uru'baen forever.

"What's wrong?" Murtagh asked, seeing the troubled look on his wife's face.

"Nothing," Alianna told him.

"You don't regret what we did, do you?"

"Of course not. I'm fine, really. So… what did Tornac say when you talked to him? Where are we going to go?"

"There's this old friend of mine," Murtagh began, "We'll go to estate and hide there. At least for the time being."

"Who's this friend of yours?" Alianna asked, "Where does he live?"

Murtagh gave her all the details and (incase something happened and they were separated) directions to his friends' estate. They were going to sneak out around the time they knew Galbatorix went to sleep. From there they would meet up with Tornac at the stables, pick up their horses, and be on their way.

Murtagh was about to tell Alianna more, but a servant arrived to tell them that dinner would be served shortly. Half an hour later, they arrived at the dining hall. Galbatorix was at the head of the table, still looking angry, but not nearly as angry as he had been earlier. Alianna and Murtagh sat down quickly.

"I hope you learned your lesson Alianna." Galbatorix said.

"Yes Father," Alianna replied, trying to remain calm and not raise and suspicions, "I won't disobey you again."

Galbatorix then turned his attention to Murtagh and discussed going into Cantos tomorrow. Murtagh simply nodded and kept his answers short. Galbatorix barley said another word for the rest of the meal, which Alianna and Murtagh were grateful for.

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The big moment had finally arrived. Alianna knew that her father had long since gone to sleep. Murtagh gathered their belongings and took out a long rope that he had found. Since the entrance to their chambers was usually guarded, they would have to sneak out through one of the windows.

"Ready to go?" Murtagh asked as he finished tying one end of the rope to the bedpost and put the rest out the window.

"Ready," Alianna replied, putting on her long dark cloak.

Murtagh climbed out the window first, followed by Alianna. They moved quickly to the stables, where Tornac was waiting for them. Although Murtagh spent time with Tornac almost everyday, it had been several months since Alianna had seen him. Tornac was the best swordsman Alianna had ever met and she was grateful to have learned from him.

"Alianna!" Tornac said quietly, "It's so good to see you again, although I wish it were under better circumstances."

"It's good to see you again too." Alianna said, giving Tornac a quick hug.

"We must hurry." Murtagh said.

Alianna nodded, "You're right. Who knows how long it'll take for people to realize that we're gone."

The three of them prepared their horses and rode off as quickly as they could. Alianna's heart was pounding the whole time. She was so afraid that at any moment, they would be caught. Her fears were soon confirmed when they reached the gates of the city. Standing there was a group of eight armed soldiers, lead by Evander.

"Well well, what do we have here?" Evander asked.

Alianna couldn't believe it, "But how…"

Evander continued, "The King anticipated that you would try and run."

"Get out of our way Evander!" Alianna said, "We're leaving."

"I'm afraid we can't allow that my lady." Evander said.

Murtagh got off his horse and drew his sword, "Then you leave us no choice."

Alianna and Tornac go off their horses as well and joined Murtagh in attacking the soldiers. Since Alianna's right arm was injured, she held her sword in her left hand (which didn't matter since she could fight with her left hand just as easily as she could with her right). They were outnumbered, but Alianna, Murtagh, and Tornac fought off the soldiers as best they could. Most of these soldiers Alianna had come to know well over the years. But she showed them no mercy that night as she sliced the throat of one of the soldiers. Eventually, they were able to defeat all of them, with the exception of Evander.

"Are you alright?" Murtagh asked his wife.

"I'm fine," Alianna told him.

Alianna and Murtagh looked around to see where Tornac was. They found him still fighting Evander, who clearly had the upper hand against Tornac. Alianna and Murtagh ran over to try and help him, but it was too late. They watched in horror as Evander drove his sword through Tornac's heart, killing him almost instantly.

"Tornac! Nooooooooooo!!!" Alianna screamed, tears streaming down her face. She tried to go towards Tornac's body, but Murtagh grabbed her.

"Alianna we have to go, now!!!" Murtagh said, seeing that Evander was about to run after them.

Alianna and Murtagh quickly got on their horses and rode off, Evander not far behind. Alianna had Bella riding as fast as she could go, but soon Alianna found that Evander had caught up to her. Suddenly, Evander go so close that he was able to grab Alianna and pull her off Bella. The last thing Alianna remembered was Murtagh screaming her name and then her world went black.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Hope you all have some tissues handy- this chapter is really sad. I'm sure some of you are going to hate me after this one lol**

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_Alianna could see a small house near the edge of a forest, the only house that appeared to be around. Outside of the house stood two figures that appeared to be struggling. Although Alianna couldn't make out their faces, she could tell that one was a man and the other was a woman. Suddenly the man took out his sword and stabbed the woman. The woman fell to the ground, obviously dead. All of a sudden the scene went from the woman lying dead on the ground to the house being on fire…_

Alianna woke up screaming and confused by the dream. But the dream wasn't her biggest problem. Her head was pounding as if it had been hit with a hammer. Suddenly Alianna realized that she was back in her room at the castle!

"_Oh no!" _she thought, _"I must've been captured and brought back while I was unconscious. But where's Murtagh?" _

She tried to sit up, but Argus came out of the corner and quickly over to her.

"Slowly my lady." Argus said.

"What's going on?" Alianna asked, "Where's Murtagh?"

Argus was very hesitant.

"Where's my husband?"

"Perhaps this should wait until you're well…"

"Tell me Argus! I demand to know where Murtagh is."

"He's gone," Argus said.

"What do you mean he's gone? I have to find him! It hasn't been long, perhaps…"

Argus interrupted, "Hasn't been long? My lady, you've been unconscious for two days! The king ordered Evander and the soldiers to capture you and Murtagh by any means necessary. You were hurt very badly. Then…"

"Then what?" Alianna asked, "Argus, please tell me."

"Forget it," Argus replied, "I've already said too much…"

"Please!" Alianna begged.

Argus sighed, "From what I could gather, after Evander threw you off your horse and you layed there unconscious, he and Murtagh fought. Murtagh slashed Evander's arm and that distracted Evander long enough for him to get on his horse and escape."

"This doesn't make any sense." Alianna said, "Murtagh wouldn't leave me like that. There has to be a reason why he did it."

"I don't know." Argus answered.

"I wish to speak to my father."

"My lady, I don't think that would be a wise thing to do."

"I don't care what you think." Alianna said, "I'm going to speak to him." She started to get out of bed.

Argus stepped forward, "Before you do that, you should know…"

But it was too late. The moment Alianna got out of bed and tried to walk, huge, searing pains shot up and down her left leg. Alianna would've fallen on the floor, but Argus got there just in time to catch her.

"What's wrong with my leg?" Alianna asked after the pain went away and she sat on her bed.

"It was damaged when you fell." Argus explained, "The healers did all they could. I'm so sorry."

"What are you saying? Is my leg always going to be like this?"

"I don't know."

Alianna had never felt so angry and upset. Murtagh was gone and now her leg might never be the same again. She knew that her father could heal her leg by using magic. He was the most powerful man in all of Alagaesia. Alianna knew that he wouldn't though. This was her fathers' way of punishing her for trying to escape and for killing some of his soldiers.

_"I'm sure the punishment will only get worse when I confront him." _Alianna thought, _"Still, I have to do it." _

Argus saw the look on Alianna's face and said, ""I think it would be best if you rested awhile longer. I'll have some food brought up. After that, I'll take you to the king."

"Thank you Argus." Alianna said, "I know we've had our disagreements over the years, but I appreciate you being so kind to me."

"Your welcome my lady." Argus said.

Alianna layed down for about an hour and then a tray of food was brought up to her. She was surprised to see that it wasn't Emma who brought it. Emma had always brought Alianna food when she wasn't feeling well. She shrugged and figured that Emma was busy that day. After Alianna finished eating, she got up and, with Argus' help, walked down to her father's chambers. Every single step was agonizing. It took Alianna over half an hour to make it there. Alianna opened the door and she and Argus slowly entered the room.

Galbatorix got off of his throne and charged at them. He struck Alianna across the face. Alianna winced in pain.

"Leave!" Galbatorix said to Argus.

Argus protested, "But sir, she can't even stand by herself…"

"I said leave!"

Argus nodded and quickly left the room. Alianna almost fell over, but she was able to grab on to a nearby table.

Galbatorix continued, "How dare you betray me! You and your bastard of a husband. I gave you two everything."

"Everything?!" Alianna said, "You treated us like dirt, Father. That's why we decided to escape in the first place."

"And yet you failed. But somehow you managed to kill eight of my soldiers!!"

"We did what we had to. I'm sure you've already found men to replace them."

"That's not the point!"

"Then what is your point, Father?"

Galbatorix struck Alianna again, "I won't have you speaking to me that way."

Alianna wiped the blood coming from her lip and said, "I hate you! You evil bastard. You've taken everything from me."

"If you're referring to Murtagh, he left by his own choosing. But he will be found and punished severely for what he's done. Now tell me, where is he going?"

Alianna looked up at her father, "I don't know!"

"Liar!" Galbatorix shouted, "I know you know where he's going."

Alianna refused to answer.

"Then I'll take what you know out of your mind myself!" Galbatorix said.

Alianna weakly smiled, "You can't Father. You taught me how to close off my mind so that no one may enter unless I want them to."

Galbatorix cursed at himself.

"I guess being your heir does have some advantages." Alianna said.

"Then I'll just have to beat it out of you!" Galbatorix replied as he stepped closer to Alianna.

Alianna tried to step back, but when she did, she fell to the floor. This didn't stop Galbatorix, who began to beat her. Alianna was too weak to fight back. After a few minutes, Alianna's face was covered in blood and bruises. Her whole body was in pain. But no matter how much her father beat her, she still refused to tell him anything.

"I'm going to ask you one last time," Galbatorix said, "Where's Murtagh?"

Alianna looked at him defiantly, "I don't know." She slowly crawled over to a table, held on, and pushed herself back on her feet.

"Emma also refused to tell me where you and Murtagh were." Galbatorix said, "But unlike her, I can't kill you."

Alianna couldn't believe it.

"That's right; your precious Emma is dead."

"You're lying!"

Galbatorix walked over to a shelf, picked something up, and said, "Does this look familiar?"

Alianna froze- it was the pearl bracelet she had given Emma!

Galbatorix continued, "I was made aware that you, Murtagh, and Tornac were missing. I knew how close you were to Emma. So I asked her where you all were and when she refused to tell me, I killed her."

Alianna cried and began to scream, "Nooooooo!! She was my only friend."

"Do you honestly think I care?" Galbatorix asked, "This is what happens when you betray me!"

"I hate you. You evil bastard. I HATE YOU!!!"

Alianna lost her balance again and fell to the floor sobbing.

"Argus!" Galbatorix shouted.

Argus entered the room.

"Take the princess back to her chambers. She's forbidden to leave the castle. I want a guard with her at all times. Do you understand? She's never to be alone."

Argus nodded, "Yes my lord." He helped Alianna up and they left. When they were walking down the hall, he said, "I'm so sorry my lady. Are you alright?"

"No I'm not alright!" Alianna snapped, "My husband is gone and Emma is dead."

"I know."

"You knew that Emma was dead?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were already suffering enough. I didn't want to add to it. I was going to tell you eventually, really…"

Alianna nodded, "I understand…" She was about to say more when she saw a familiar face walking down the hall- it was Evander!

Argus saw this and said to Alianna, "My lady, don't. You're not in any condition to…"

"Evander!" Alianna shouted.

Evander nervously approached. He saw the condition Alianna was in and said, "My lady, are you alright? What happened?"

"Don't stand there and pretend like you care about me!" Alianna said, "Especially after what you've done."

"I know you're upset…"

"I'm way beyond upset!"

Alianna grabbed Evander's arm. Evander winced as blood from the wound Murtagh gave him soaked his sleeve.

"How could you?" Alianna asked, "You could've let us escape! Instead you killed Tornac, chased after us, and attacked me. Now Murtagh is gone and my leg might be crippled!"

"I had no choice!" Evander replied, "You don't understand…"

"Understand what?"

"The king gave me orders. I didn't want to do it. In fact, I refused at first. But then he threatened my family. I have two daughters just a bit younger than you…"

Alianna interrupted, "I don't want to hear it! I blame you almost as much as my father. If I wasn't so weak, I'd kill you right now. But someday, you and my father will pay for what you've done. I'll see to that."

Evander stood there speechless as Alianna and Argus walked by.

When they got back to Alianna's chambers, Argus had a healer come in to tend to Alianna's latest wounds.

Afterward, Alianna said, "Argus, I know what my father said, but I'd really like to be alone right now."

Argus sighed, "Alright, but it can only be for a few minutes. I'll be outside your door if you need anything."

"Thank you," Alianna said.

When Argus left, Alianna layed down on her bed. She hugged the pillow that had been Murtagh's and began to cry. Alianna felt like this was all a bad dream. That she would wake up at any moment and everything would be okay. But seeing that empty space on the bed, where Murtagh should be, it hit Alianna that this was real. She had to face the fact that Murtagh was gone, Tornac and Emma were dead, and she was severely injured. In just two short days, Alianna's whole world had been taken from her.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Sorry I didn't have this chapter up sooner. I got distracted reading Deathly Hallows lol. Plus, I've been getting writer's block again, grr. These next few chapters are kinda weird since Alianna's back in Uru'baen and Murtagh is off on his journey with Eragon. It's hard to find things to write about right now. If any of you have some ideas, I'd love to hear them. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. It's really short though...**

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As the weeks went by, things for Alianna became worse. She sank into a deep depression. Alianna rarely left her room anymore. She became pale and thin from not eating much. And then there was her leg. Although the pain in Alianna's leg had lessened, she now walked with a limp. When Alianna did leave her room, many people would stare at her as she walked by. But they didn't dare say anything to her.

As Galbatorix had ordered, Alianna had a guard with her at all times. She couldn't even eat or sleep by herself. She hated not being able to leave the castle. Galbatorix had forbidden her from doing so because he knew the moment she was given the slightest opportunity, Alianna would try and escape.

Alianna felt all alone. She had no one else to confide in anymore. The only thing she had now was a small journal in which she could write down what was on her mind. After another stressful day, Alianna took it out and began to write-

_It's been weeks since Murtagh left. Every day that goes by seems worse than the last. I still can't believe that he's gone. Why did he leave without me? I'm sure there's a good reason. There has to be. Murtagh would never leave me behind. He loves me and I love him. I just wish I had realized it sooner._

_In many ways, I feel like this is all my fault. If I hadn't tried to run towards Tornac's body… if I had just ridden Bella a little bit faster… Evander wouldn't have caught up to us and none of this would have happened. And then there's Emma… poor Emma! Why didn't I try harder to convince her to come with us? Emma is dead because of me!_

_Argus keeps giving me worried looks all the time. He knows I'm not eating or sleeping. Why should I? I've lost my husband and my friend. I've lost everything. Sometimes I feel like I would be better off dead. It would be a lot better than how I'm being treated right now. Father has forbidden me from leaving the castle. I can't even go to the stables to see Bella. Argus has assured me though that she is fine and being well taken care of. I never thought Argus would be so kind. He usually works the night shift and tries his best to allow me to have a few minutes to myself. I think he feels sorry for me. My other guards aren't so lenient. They've refused to let me out of their sight ever since what happened last week. They had left me alone for just a moment (I made some excuse about needing to change into another dress for dinner.) and I made an attempt to escape. Obviously, I was not successful and my actions resulted in Father beating me again and having bars on the windows in my room. _

_Since that day Father beat me again, I've seen very little of him. While I'm grateful for that, I know that something is going on. I overheard Father talking to Durza not long ago. From what I could gather (I was listening from a distance) Father is sending Durza and a group of Urgals to ambush someone named Arya and retrieve the blue dragon egg. After all these years, it seems that Father has finally found it. I've heard of Arya before, but know little about her. I just know that she's an elf and an ally of the Varden. I hope Durza isn't successful. The egg is better off where it is than in Father's hands. It's bad enough that he has the other two eggs. Imagine what would happen if-_

Suddenly, Alianna heard her door open. She quickly placed her journal under her pillow and stood up. Argus and a maid walked in. The maid left a tray of food on the edge of Alianna's bed.

Alianna picked up the tray and handed it back to the maid, "Thank you, but I'm not hungry. Perhaps you can give this food to someone who really needs it."

The maid nodded and left the room.

"My lady," Argus said, "You've got to eat. You're going to make yourself sick."

Alianna replied, "I appreciate your concern Argus, but I'm in no mood to eat."

"Forgive me for speaking this way, but you haven't been in the mood for anything these last few weeks."

"Why should I be?"

"I understand how you feel."

"Do you? I doubt it."

"Please Alianna, I'm worried. I'm sure Murtagh would be to if he saw you this way."

As Argus said this, large tears rolled out of Alianna's eyes and down her cheeks.

"Incase you haven't noticed, Murtagh isn't here anymore!"

"Forgive me. I shouldn't have brought his name up."

"I think I'll try and get some sleep now." Alianna said.

Argus nodded and sat down in his usual chair in the corner of the room.

Alianna slowly climbed into her bed, pulled the covers over her body, and attempted to get some sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Wow, this story now has over 100 reviews so far! Thank you to everyone who takes the time to review. It really means a lot to me. Anyway, I hope this long chapter makes up for how short chapter 11 was. Enjoy!**

Alianna awoke the next morning, having gotten a full night sleep for the first time in weeks. She yawned and slowly got out of bed. Argus was still in his chair, but he got up when he saw that Alianna was awake.

"Good morning," Alianna said.

"Good morning," replied Argus, "It's good to see that you've finally gotten some sleep."

Alianna nodded, "You look like you're the one who could use some sleep."

"There'll be time for that later. Somebody has to make sure that you're safe."

Alianna went behind her screen and changed out of her nightgown. When she came back out, her breakfast was waiting for her on the small table near her bed. Her guard that worked the morning shift had entered the room as well.

"I guess I'll see you tonight Argus." Alianna said, "Thank you."

"I'll leave as soon as I see you eat something."

"What?"

"I mean it. You didn't eat last night. You must be hungry."

"I'll eat in a little while."

Argus gave Alianna a look that said he knew she was lying.

Alianna sighed. She went over to the table, picked up an apple and took a bite out of it, "Happy?"

Argus nodded, "I'll see you tonight. Please stay out of trouble until then."

"I'll try to," Alianna said, "But I can't make any promises."

Argus smiled slightly and then left the room. Alianna finished her apple, and then looked around for a book to read. When she realized she didn't have any, Alianna asked to be taken to the library.

"As you wish my lady." said the guard coldly. He wasn't nearly as friendly as Argus.

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When Alianna arrived at the library, she saw that there were very few people there. She was grateful for that and began walking up and down the aisles looking for a book on scrying. She had been mean to learn how to scry for awhile now. Once she did, Alianna could find out how Murtagh was doing. Although Alianna could sense that he was still alive, she wanted to see for herself to be sure. After a few minutes, she found the book she was looking for. She sat down and began to read-

_In order to scry, you have to know what you're looking at and where to direct your power… You can only observe places, people, and things you've already seen… It's easier to project an image on a mirror or water… The words needed to do this are draumr kopa (dream stare). _

Alianna decided that she would try to scry Murtagh that night, when it was Argus' shift and she had a few minutes alone. She closed the book and stood up.

"I found what I was looking for." Alianna said to her guard.

The guard nodded as he walked with Alianna out of the library. As they walked down the hall, they ran into Lavina.

"Well, look who it is." Lavina said with a mean tone in her voice.

Alianna rolled her eyes, "Lavina. I thought you would've learned your lesson given what happened the last time we saw each other."

Lavina replied, "That little trick of yours ruined my best dress! What are you doing here anyway? I thought you never left your chambers anymore."

Alianna's guard stepped forward and shouted, "How dare you show such disrespect towards the Princess! I'll-"

Alianna interrupted, "It's alright, I can handle this."

Lavina continued, "What's the matter Princess Alianna? Are you still upset because Murtagh left you?"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Alianna said as she felt the anger inside of her rise, "You weren't there that night!"

"I can imagine what happened." Lavina said, "Murtagh couldn't stand you and ditched you the first chance he got."

"That's not true!"

"Isn't it?" Lavina asked, "What kind of man just up and leaves his wife? Obviously one who's wife doesn't keep him satisfied. Face it Princess, Murtagh didn't want you anymore. He wouldn't want you now either. Look at you. I doubt Murtagh would want a cripple for a wife!"

It took all the strength Alianna had in her not to pound Lavina into the ground right then and there.

"I won't allow you to speak to me that way!" Alianna said.

"What are you going to do?" Lavina asked, "Drench me in water again? Kill me?"

"Believe me, I'm tempted." Alianna said to her, "But I won't. Instead I'll do this- you're no longer a member of the royal court and any privileges you may have had because of it, will be taken away immediately. And you're never allowed to step foot in this castle again."

Lavina was shocked, "You can't do that!"

"I just did." Alianna said, "And if you dare say another word, I'll see to it that you spend the rest of your miserable life in Gil'ead." She turned to her guard, "I want Lavina out of here immediately."

"Yes my lady," the guard said. He signaled towards another group of guards and they escorted Lavina out of the castle.

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Alianna spent the rest of the day reading. By late afternoon she had finished the book about scrying and decided to take a nap before dinner. When she awoke, she saw Argus standing at the foot of her bed. He had just entered Alianna's chambers to start his shift. As Alianna got up, she noticed Argus giving her an odd look.

"What?" she asked.

Argus shook his head and said, "I thought you said you were going to stay out of trouble."

"I said I would try." Alianna told him, "It just didn't work out."

"Apparently not," Argus said, "What happened exactly?"

Alianna told Argus the whole story, including that Lavina called her a cripple.

"I'm so sorry." Argus said, "That was a very cruel thing for her to say."

"I know. But at least Lavina will never be able to bother me again."

"This is true."

"Does my father know about this?"

"Not that I'm aware of my lady. He's been very busy lately."

"So I've noticed. Whatever it is, it has something to do with the blue dragon egg. I even heard my father has the Ra'zac involved now."

Alianna shuddered to think of them. The Ra'zac were such hideous things. She tried to distance herself from them, Durza, the Urgals, and any other evil creature her father was involved with, as much as she could.

"How do you know about all this?" Argus asked.

"I've overheard him talking a few times." Alianna admitted.

"When was this? When I allow you to be by yourself for awhile?"

"Yes," Alianna said.

Argus sighed, "My lady, you've got to be careful. If the king finds out you're wondering around without a guard, we'll both be in trouble. But it's you I'm worried most about."

"He can't do anything worse than what he's already done." Alianna said, "And if I somehow do get caught, I'll take all the blame. I promise that you won't be punished."

Argus smiled, "You're very kind my lady. It's so hard to believe that you're Galbatorix's daughter."

"I've heard that many times."

Just then a servant walked in with Alianna's dinner. Alianna saw that it was seasoned chicken and potatoes.

"My favorite," she said.

"I know," Argus replied, "I had the cooks make it for you in the hopes that you would actually eat."

"You're never going to drop it are you?" Alianna asked.

Argus replied, "Somebody has to worry about you."

Alianna turned away sadly.

"I'm sorry," Argus said, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you didn't. It's just…"

"Just what?"

"I don't know." Alianna said.

"It's Murtagh isn't it? I know how much you miss him. But I'm sure he's alright."

"I know."

Alianna thought about telling Argus about her plans to scry Murtagh, but decided against it. While Argus was the only one who was kind to her these days, she didn't fell like she could really talk to him the way she had with Emma and Murtagh. At least, not yet anyway.

"Let's not talk about it anymore." Alianna said as she sat down to eat.

"As you wish my lady." Argus replied.

Alianna shook her head and said, "Argus, you don't always have to call me my lady. When we're not in public, you can call me Alianna."

"I've always called you my lady." Argus said, "Even when you were a child."

"Really? Argus, how long have you been my guard?"

"Since you were about two years old." Argus told her, "I was 18 at the time. So, it's been 15 years. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering, if you've known me that long, then you must've known my mother."

"I'm afraid I didn't." Argus said, "Believe me, if I had, I would tell you. Infact, until I was hired, I had no idea that you existed."

Alianna was surprised, "Really?"

Argus nodded, "Yes. Which is strange, since before I was your guard, I was in the king's army and had lived in Uru'baen all my life. So you'd think I would know if Galbatorix had a child."

Alianna thought that it was strange indeed, but decided not to dwell on it. Instead, she began to eat her dinner. But Alianna only managed to eat half of it.

"It's a start." Argus said as he got up. Usually after dinner was when Argus gave Alianna some time to herself, "I'll be back in a little while. Please be careful."

"I will be." Alianna said.

As soon as Argus left, Alianna got up. She went over to her bed and pulled out the scrying book from underneath a pillow. Alianna skimmed through the book again. It said it was easier to project an image on a mirror or water. Alianna decided to do it on water. She looked all around her room for a bowl to put the water in. When Alianna couldn't find one, she walked out of her room and into the hallway. Luckily there appeared to be no one else around. Alianna searched all over until she finally found a large bowl in a storage closet near the kitchen.

_"This'll do," _Alianna said to herself. She turned around and froze. Two soldiers were standing in the doorway.

"Princess Alianna!" one of the soldiers said, "What are you doing? You're not allowed to walk around by yourself!"

Alianna quickly shouted, "Thrysta aptr!"

This gave Alianna enough time to grab the bowl and get away from the soldiers. But because of her leg, Alianna was unable to run well, so the soldiers quickly caught up to her. Alianna panicked. What was she going to do? Finally, she thought of something.

"Malthinae! (to bind or hold in place)"

This held the soldiers in place long enough for Alianna to get back to her chambers. There, Argus was waiting for her. He had an angry, yet worried look on his face.

"Where have you been?" Argus asked.

"I had to look for something." Alianna said, "Two soldiers saw me…"

"I knew this would happen! Alianna, why must you-"

"Argus, please. I don't need a lecture from you right now, I-"

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door.

"That must be the soldiers. I guess the spell wore off."

"Your father is going to be furious."

Alianna drew her sword, "Argus, give me your arm."

Argus was confused, "Why?"

"Just trust me," Alianna said.

Argus reluctantly gave in. Alianna took her sword and made a long scratch on Argus' forearm.

"What are you doing?!!" Argus asked.

"Keeping my promise." Alianna told him. She put her sword back and opened the door. Sure enough, there were the two soldiers Alianna had encountered earlier.

"The King wishes to see you immediately." one of the soldiers said, He then looked at Argus, "Both of you."

Alianna and Argus slowly made their way to Galbatorix's chambers. When they arrived, Galbatorix spoke to Argus first.

"I thought I told you that my daughter is forbidden to be alone. How could you let this happen? You were suppose to be watching her!"

"I'm sorry my lord," Argus said, "I won't-"

Alianna interrupted, "Father, this is all my fault. Don't blame Argus. I wanted to go out on my own and Argus tried to stop me. So I attacked him with my sword and ran off."

Galbatorix looked at her like he didn't believe a word she just said.

"It's true. Look!" Alianna said as she showed him Argus' arm.

Galbatorix looked for a moment and then said to Argus, "See that it doesn't happen again. I don't want to be interrupted again by something so petty. I have more important things to do."

"Well, I'm sorry I'm such a burden to you Father." Alianna blurted out.

Galbatorix became angrier, "You've always been a burden. You disgust me!"

"Why do you hate me so much Father?" Alianna asked, tears forming in her eyes. Suddenly, she began getting an intense headache and fell to the ground.

_Alianna got a vision of the horrible dream she had had just weeks earlier. It was the one where a woman was being murdered and a house being on fire. Only this time, Alianna saw a few more details. While the man and woman were arguing (and just moments before the woman was murdered) the woman suddenly turned her head and began shouting. It was almost as if there were someone else there that she was talking to. But Alianna couldn't make out what the woman was saying nor could she see her face. And then, the vision was gone. _

Argus helped Alianna up, "Are you alright my lady?"

Alianna nodded and then turned her attention back to her father, "Answer me Father! Why do you hate me? Is it because I'm not the song you wanted? Or because I didn't turn out to be a Dragon Rider?"

"It's all those things and more!" Galbatorix said, "I had hoped you'd be a good warrior if you weren't going to be a Rider. That's why I had you trained and taught you magic. But that's never going to happen. Look at you! You're weak, pathetic, and now worst of all, a cripple!"

Alianna replied, "Even if I weren't crippled, I would never serve you! You're an evil man and someday I hope you pay for everything you've done!"

"Get out!!" Galbatorix shouted, "I don't have time for this. Get out of my sight!"

"Gladly," Alianna said as she and Argus left.

Alianna and Argus talked while they walked down the hall.

"Why did you try and take all the blame?" Argus asked, "You're lucky he didn't beat you again."

"Because," Alianna said, "I've already lost two people that I care about. I don't want to lose you too."

Argus just smiled slightly. They didn't speak another word to each other for the rest of the night. Later, when Alianna was alone in her bath chambers, she filled the bowl with water and began to scry Murtagh. It took several tries, but she was finally able to project an image of him. She saw Murtagh sitting down. He looked sad and very tired. Alianna couldn't tell where Murtagh was though since she could only scry things she had already seen (she had never been outside of Uru'baen). She was only able to project the image for a few seconds (she was very tired), but that was all she needed to put her mind at ease. Alianna breathed a sigh of relief. While she missed Murtagh terribly and hoped they'd be together again someday, at least for now Alianna new that he was alive. She dumped the water out of the bowl and began preparing to go to bed, feeling slightly happier then she had been in a long time.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Most of this chapter is flashback scenes of Alianna & Murtagh as kids. Maybe this will make up for the lack of Murtagh lately. He does come back eventually, I promise lol :p Enjoy!**

"Is everything alright?" Argus asked Alianna as he watched her come out of her bath chambers.

"Fine," Alianna said, "Why do you ask?"

"You were in there a long time."

Alianna just gave Argus a quick glance and then sat on her bed.

Argus continued, "Does this have something to do with that bowl you brought back?"

"Maybe," Alianna said.

"What did you need it for? Some kind of spell?"

Alianna didn't say a word.

"Alianna," Argus said, "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Alianna debated whether or not she should say anything. But she realized that deep down, she could trust Argus.

"Atra nosu waise vardo fra eld hornya." she said so that no one could hear them.

"Well?" Argus asked.

"If I tell you," Alianna said, "You have to promise that you won't tell anyone."

"You know I won't." Argus assured her.

"Okay, I'll tell you. I was trying to scry Murtagh."

"Were you able to do it?"

"Yes,"

"Alianna, that's great!"

"It is. I don't know exactly where he is though. But at least I know he's alive."

"That's true. And I'm sure you two will be together again someday."

"I hope so," Alianna sighed. Wanting to change the subject, she looked down at Argus' arm, "Here, let me fix that."

"I'm fine," Argus told her, "It's just a scratch."

"It could get infected," Alianna said as she went ad got some bandages, "I'd heal it with magic, but I don't think I have the energy to do that right now."

"You can heal with magic?" Argus asked, surprised.

"Only minor injuries," Alianna told him, "I don't know enough to heal anything major." She began to bandage his arm, "I really am sorry for this. But it was the only thing I could think of to keep Father from punishing you."

"It's alright, I understand. Believe me; I've been through a lot worse."

Alianna smiled slightly and finished tying up the bandage, "There you go."

"Thank you," Argus said.

"Your welcome," Alianna said as she stood up, "I think I'll go to sleep now. I'm very tired."

"Alright, good night Alianna."

"Good night Argus."

That night, Alianna once again had the dream about a woman being murdered and a fire. Then she began to have flashbacks of her and Murtagh as kids-

_Five year old Alianna was walking around the courtyard, with Murtagh following close behind. Alianna looked at him and rolled her eyes. She hated having to be around Murtagh so much. The only reason Alianna played with Murtagh was because her father made her. _

_Suddenly, Murtagh stopped at a particular tree, "Alianna, did you know you can fly like a dragon if you jump out of this tree?"_

_Alianna gave Murtagh an odd look, "No you can't."_

_"Yes you can," Murtagh said, "I've done it."_

_"You have?" Alianna asked._

_"Sure, lots of times."_

_Alianna walked over to the tree (which was fairly big) and looked up. She hesitated for a minute. _

_Murtagh laughed, "What's the matter? Are you scared?"_

_"I'm not scared!" Alianna shot back, "I'm just as brave as you are!"_

_"No you're not." Murtagh said. _

_Alianna gave Murtagh a look as if to say, "I'll show you!" and began to climb up the tree. She climbed higher and higher until she was about halfway up. Alianna then slowly began to inch her way across a large branch._

_"Alianna, wait!" Murtagh shouted with a worried tone in his voice, "I didn't-"_

_But it was too late- Alianna jumped out of the tree. She fell to the ground quickly. Alianna heard the sound of bones breaking in her arm and then excruciating pain filled her tiny body. She began screaming and crying. _

_"Alianna!" Murtagh said, "It was just a joke. I didn't mean-"_

_Before Murtagh could finish what he was saying, Emma and Argus quickly ran over to Alianna._

_"What happened my lady?" Argus asked._

_"I jumped out of the tree!" Alianna sobbed as Emma tried to comfort her. _

_"Jumped out of a tree?" Argus said, he then turned to Murtagh, "I bet you had something to do with this. You're always causing trouble for the princess!"_

_Murtagh was too frightened to say anything at the moment._

_"Did Murtagh put you up to this?" Argus asked Alianna. _

_"No," Alianna lied, "I wanted to do it. I'm sorry Argus." Alianna began to cry again._

_Emma gingerly picked up Alianna, "I must take her to the healers immediately." She quickly ran off. _

_"I suggest you leave at once." Argus said to Murtagh, "Before the king becomes aware of this." Argus knew that Alianna had lied about Murtagh not being involved, but decided not to press the issue. _

_Murtagh immediately went back to his quarters, where he stayed for the rest of the day._

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_It was late morning and a six year old Alianna was running deep into the forest. She wanted to be alone for awhile and she knew the only place that would happen was in her small hut. What Alianna didn't know was that Murtagh (who had just turned seven) was following her. It wasn't until she heard the sound of a branch breaking that she turned around and saw him._

_"What are you doing here?" Murtagh asked._

_"Go away!" Alianna said. _

_"I don't have to!" Murtagh replied as he looked at the hut, "What is this place?"_

_"This is MY hut!" Alianna told him, "Emma helped me make it. You can't play here!"_

_"You can't tell me what to do! I can play here if I want."_

_"No you can't!"_

_"Yes I can. If you don't let me play here I'll tell your father about this place."_

_Alianna's jaw dropped, "Don't you dare. If you tell him, I'll use magic on you!"_

_Murtagh laughed, "You can't use magic."_

_"Yes I can!"_

_"No you can't."_

_"Yes I can! My father's been teaching me."_

_"I don't believe you."_

_Alianna smiled and then looked down at a very small stone on the ground._

_"Stenr reisa!" she said as the stone rose from the ground and struck Murtagh on the head. _

_"Owww!" Murtagh said. The stone had left a large bruise on his forehead. _

_Alianna started to laugh, "I told you I could use magic."_

_"I'm going to get you for that!" Murtagh said as he began to chase Alianna._

_Alianna continued to laugh as Murtagh chased her around the hut._

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_One hot summer afternoon, 12 year old Alianna walked down to the river to go swimming. But when she arrived, she saw that Murtagh was already there. She hid behind a tree so that he wouldn't see her. Alianna peaked out and saw that Murtagh was about to put his shirt on. It looked like he had just been swimming himself judging by his hair being dripping wet. Suddenly, Murtagh turned so that his back was facing Alianna. Alianna gasped when she saw that horrible scar on Murtagh's back that she had heard so much about. Although Alianna had known about the scar most of her life, this was the first time she had actually seen it. The long, ropy scar stretched across his back. _

_"How could Morzan do something like that?" Alianna thought. She knew how evil Morzan had been but still, to do that to your own flesh and blood? Then again, Alianna wasn't surprised given how cruelly her own father treated her. _

_Without even realizing it, Alianna started to cry. Murtagh must've heard her, for he suddenly turned around. _

_"What are you doing here?" Murtagh asked as he quickly put his shirt back on. _

_Alianna froze, "I…"_

_"Go away!" Murtagh shouted. _

_"I'm sorry," Alianna said, "I was just-"_

_Murtagh interrupted, "I know what you were doing. You were looking at my scar like I'm strange. You're just like everyone else."_

_"I don't think you're strange," Alianna said, "At least not because of scar. I'm so sorry Morzan did that to you."_

_"Stop it!" Murtagh said._

_"Stop what?"_

_"Stop feeling sorry for me. Stop acting like you care about me. The only person you care about is yourself."_

_"That's not true!" Alianna told him, "Why are you acting like this? You're always so angry and secretive. The only person YOU care about is yourself. I have news for you- you're not the only one with and evil father. You're not the only one who suffers!"_

_Alianna turned around and began to walk away. _

_"Where are you going?" Murtagh asked. _

_"I'm going away," Alianna replied, "Just like you asked me to."_

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Alianna woke up early the next morning. She could hear several people talking out in the hall. Alianna sat up and got out of bed.

"Argus, what's going on?" she asked.

"I don't know," Argus replied, "I'll be right back."

Argus left the room and returned a few minutes later with a strange look on his face.

Alianna walked over to him, "Well?"

"You're not going to believe this," Argus said, "But the blue egg, they're saying it's hatched."

"What?!?"

"There's a new Dragon Rider!"


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: I am so sorry this chapter wasn't out sooner. I had writer's block once again and was dealing with a lot of personal issues. Anyway, I hope this chapter is worth the wait. I think it is :) Enjoy and remember to review!**

"Is it Murtagh?" Alianna asked.

"No," Argus said, "No one knows the name of the boy, but from what I could gather, he's from Carvahall."

Alianna was surprised, "Carvahall? I thought the elves had the egg. How did it get all the way to Carvahall?"

"I don't know," Argus told her, "But the king has sent the Ra'zac out to look for the boy."

Alianna nodded, "He wants to control the next generation of Riders. It would give him an enormous advantage against the Varden. Whoever this boy is, I hope they don't find him."

Argus agreed and said, "I'm sure the king will be quite busy for awhile."

"Which means he won't have time to pay attention to what I'm doing." Alianna replied.

"True," Argus said, "But that does not mean you can go around doing whatever you please."

"But-"

"I'm serious Alianna. These are dangerous times. What if you ventured off and a spy from the Varden found you? What do you think they'd do?"

"You sound like Murtagh." Alianna told him.

"Well, he was right. I'm not saying all of this to be mean. I'm saying it because I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I know and I appreciate that." Alianna said, "I guess now I won't be able to have any time to myself."

"I'm sorry," Argus sighed, "It's too risky."

Just then, Alianna's morning guard arrived. Argus turned and looked at Alianna.

Alianna knew what he was thinking, "Don't worry, I'll try to stay out of trouble."

"I hope you do this time." Argus said, "I'll see you tonight then."

"Of course," Alianna replied, "Goodbye Argus."

xxA FEW MONTHS LATERxx

Argus had been right- Galbatorix was busier then ever. Alianna watched as her father made plans to attack the Varden. All over the city there were soldiers and Urgals gathering. Alianna couldn't believe that her father had found the Varden. Apparently, a group of Urgals had been following the Dragon Rider (whom Alianna discovered was named Eragon) and because of that, had been able to find the Varden's location.

Alianna was thinking about all of this late one afternoon, when one of her guards, Xavier, confronted her as she re-entered her chambers.

"What is the matter with you?" Xavier asked, "I turn my back for just a moment and you disappear."

"I wanted to be alone," Alianna said, "Why can't you understand that? Besides, I didn't go very far. And I can take care of myself."

"At one time, that was true," Xavier told her, "You could fight as well as any soldier. But it's different now. You're a-"

"A what?" Alianna replied.

"A cripple! I know it's not your fault, but-"

As Xavier said this, anger boiled inside Alianna. She drew her sword and before Xavier could react, held it to his throat.

"If there's one thing I cannot stand," she said, "It's being called a cripple."

Alianna lowered her sword and then punched Xavier in the face. She had punched him so hard that she broke his nose. Xavier kicked Alianna's feet out from under her and she fell to the ground hard.

Xavier shook his head, "All these years, I've been one of the men who helped protect you. This is how you thank me? You ungrateful little brat! No wonder Murtagh left you."

"That's enough!" a voice shouted.

Alianna looked behind her and saw that it was Argus.

Argus helped Alianna up, "Are you alright Alianna?"

Alianna nodded, "I'm fine." She turned to Xavier and smiled slightly, "Which is more then I can say for you."

Xavier charged at her, "Why you little…"

Argus stepped in front of Alianna, "I said that's enough!"

"You're always defending her Argus!" Xavier said.

"Unlike you, I actually care about Alianna." Argus replied.

"Since when do you speak of the princess so informally?" Xavier asked, "Some say you care a little TOO much about her. The two of you have become awfully close these past few months. Too close if you ask me." He turned to Alianna, "How quickly you move from one man to the next."

"How dare you speak to me that way!" Alianna shouted, "I love Murtagh and would never be unfaithful to him."

"How can you love a traitor?"

"Murtagh is not a traitor!"

"He's sided with the Varden! That makes him a traitor."

"You're lying."

"It's true," Xavier said, "He's there right now. Everyone knows it, even Argus. We've all known for some time."

Alianna looked over at Argus, shocked.

Xavier smiled, "I guess he didn't tell you."

Alianna punched Xavier in the face again, "Get out! You bastard! You'll never guard me again."

Xavier wiped the blood from his nose, "You don't have to order me, I quit! None of your guards can stand you anymore my lady." He turned to Argus, "Except you."

With that being said, Xavier quickly left.

Alianna looked at Argus with a hurt expression on her face, "Is it true what he said?"

"Yes," Argus confessed, "But please try and understand. I would never do anything to hurt you."

"Well, you did!" Alianna said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't know if it was true at first. I wanted to wait until I knew for sure. I only found out today. It was one of the things I came to talk to you about. You have to believe me."

"I do," Alianna said, "So, Murtagh really is at the Varden?"

"Yes," Argus told her.

Alianna was confused, "This doesn't make any sense."

"Why do you say that?" Argus asked.

"Because he thinks they're trying to destroy the Empire." Alianna replied, "Almost as much as my father is trying to destroy it. Are you absolutely sure he's at the Varden?"

"Yes,"

Alianna grabbed a bag from her closet and quickly started putting clothes and other necessary supplies in it.

"What are you doing?" Argus asked.

"I have to go find Murtagh." Alianna said.

"That would not be wise Alianna." Argus told her.

"You don't understand. The Varden must've captured him. That's the only explanation I can think of. And once they find out that Murtagh is Morzan's son, who knows what they'll do to him. I have to go before it's too late."

"How are you going to get there? There's a war about to begin. Besides, you don't even know where the Varden is located. I'm sure the king won't be divulging that information to you."

"True," Alianna said, "But someone else has to know. I'll force it out of them if I have to."

Argus stepped closer, "Alianna, listen to me. For once in your life, PLEASE listen…"

Alianna began to tear up, "No, YOU listen! You don't know what it's like to feel that there's a part of you missing. That's how I've felt these last couple of months. All this time, I didn't know where Murtagh was. Now that I do, I'm going to do whatever it takes to see that we're together again."

Alianna grabbed her bag and began walking toward the door. Argus quickly blocked her from leaving.

Alianna looked up at him, "Get out of my way Argus!"

But Argus refused to move, "I can't do that."

"Don't make me use magic on you!"

"You can't take on the Varden by yourself!"

"I'll do whatever I have to in order to get my husband back. You can't stop me from going."

Argus replied, "No, I can't. But will you listen to me for a moment? Please?"

"Fine," Alianna sighed.

Argus continued, "Even if you make it out of Uru'baen and somehow manage to find the Varden, how are you going to get to Murtagh?"

"I'll think of something." Alianna told him.

"If you do this," Argus said, "There's a very good chance you'll get yourself killed. I don't think Murtagh would want you to take that risk."

Alianna began to cry, "I just want Murtagh back! I miss him so much."

"Listen to me," Argus said, "Murtagh is smart. If there's a way out, I'm sure he'll find it. I know the two of you will be together again. You just have to be patient and not do anything rash."

Alianna simply nodded and decided to change the subject, "So, I guess Xavier won't be coming back anytime soon."

"He's the third guard of yours that's quit this month you know." Argus said.

"Am I really that difficult?" Alianna asked.

"Of course not," Argus replied, "They just don't know how to handle you, that's all. But you don't have to worry about them anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"They're all going to serve in the army and battle the Varden."

"Please tell me you're not going. I can't-"

Argus interrupted, "No, I'm not. That's the other thing I came to talk to you about. The king says I'm doing to be your guard full time from now on."

"Really?" Alianna asked.

Argus replied, "He says I'm the only one you'll listen to. Besides, someone has to keep you out of trouble."

Alianna smiled, "Good luck with that."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Soon after, the war began. Alianna watched as thousands of soldiers and Urgals (led by Durza) marched into the Varden. Argus had been right; all of Alianna's guards went into battle. There were others that Alianna knew were going as well, including Evander. Alianna didn't know what to think as she watched Evander leave. Although Alianna now understood why Evander did what he did, she was unable to forgive him. She did feel sorry for his daughters though, since there was a very good chance Evander wouldn't make it back alive.

One person who wouldn't be going was Galbatorix. Alianna knew that her father would not go into battle unless it was absolutely necessary. Besides, he hadn't left Uru'baen in over 10 years.

Alianna soon began hearing news from other people about what was going on in battle. At first it wasn't much, but as the days went by, Alianna learned more and more. Several of her guards had been killed (including Xavier) and Evander as well. She had still not heard anything about Murtagh, which troubled her. Alianna hoped he was okay.

"You'll never believe what I just heard!" Argus said to Alianna one night.

"What?" Alianna asked.

"Durza is dead."

Alianna's eyes widened, "How is that possible? Durza is a Shade! A very powerful one at that."

"I don't know all the details," Argus told her, "But from what I could gather, he was killed by Eragon."

"That's incredible," Alianna said, "I've only heard of two other people who've killed a Shade before. Does this mean the battle is over now?"

"For the most part, yes. A great many people were killed though. The army, what's left of it, is planning to return as we speak."

"Have you heard anything about Murtagh?" Alianna nervously asked.

"No, I haven't." Argus replied, "I'm sure the king knows something, but he's in a terrible rage right now. I strongly suggest you don't go anywhere near him right now."

"I wasn't planning on it." Alianna said.

Argus smiled, "Yes you were. If I wasn't here to stop you, you'd already be on your way to the king's chambers."

Alianna laughed, "You know me too well."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

About two weeks later, Alianna began seeing several groups of soldiers returning to Uru'baen. However, she did not see any Urgals. From what Alianna had heard, once Durza was dead the Urgals were released from some sort of spell he had on them and they began attacking each other. A good portion of the Urgal army had been wiped out as a result of that.

Alianna and Argus discussed this and much more as they walked around the castle. Everyone around them was extremely quiet. It made Alianna said to see children who would never see their fathers again… wives crying at the loss of their husbands. Alianna began thinking of Murtagh and wondering how he was or if he was even alive.

"I'm sure he's alright," Argus said to her, "You can't give up."

"I know," Alianna sighed, "But it's been so long, Argus. I'm beginning to doubt whether or not I'll ever see Murtagh again."

Suddenly, Alianna heard screams coming from a distant room. The scream sounded so familiar to her.

_"It' can't be… could it?" _Alianna thought.

Alianna quickly began walking towards the screams, Argus following close behind her. It lead them to a large room not far from Galbatorix's chambers.

"Alianna, be careful," Argus warned, "You don't know what's going on in there."

Alianna ignored him and tried to open the door- it wouldn't budge.

In the ancient language, Alianna said, "Open the door." It took a few tries, but it finally worked.

Alianna and Argus both drew their swords and slowly entered. In the far corner of the room Alianna could see two identical bald men torturing someone. The men were so preoccupied with what they were doing that they hadn't noticed Alianna and Argus yet. Alianna inched forward and got a close look the person the men were torturing- her heart stopped. She recognized the dark hair and dark eyes. Laying there on the ground… was Murtagh!


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Alianna & Murtagh are finally together again:) Of course, that doesn't mean things will be easy for them. Anyway, I wanna thank OpheliaHyde for her input on one of the scenes in this chapter. I ended up rewriting the scene, that's why it took so long for this chapter to get out. I hope you all like it...**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Stop it!!" Alianna shouted, "You're hurting him!"

The two men (who Alianna now realized were twins) looked up at Alianna but didn't say a word. Before Alianna had a chance to attack them, the Twins faded out of the room. She quickly ran over to Murtagh and helped him up. Murtagh looked exhausted and very beaten up, but that didn't matter. Alianna was just happy to see him again.

"Alianna?" Murtagh said, "Is that really you?"

Alianna tearfully nodded, "Yes, it's me." She immediately threw her arms around him and sobbed, "I missed you so much."

Murtagh held her tightly, "I missed you too."

At that moment, Alianna happened to glance over at Argus, who was standing at a distance. Argus just nodded and left the room, knowing that the young couple needed some time alone. Alianna and Murtagh just stood there holding each other for a minute or two, before Alianna suddenly pushed her husband away.

Murtagh was confused, "What's wrong?"

Alianna (still sobbing) shouted, "Why did you leave me here? If you missed me so much, why didn't you come back for me?"

"You don't understand," Murtagh said, "I thought you were dead."

"You what?"

"When Evander attacked you and threw you off your horse, you just layed there motionless on the ground. It looked like you were dead. I swear, if I had known you were alive, I never would've left you."

"Really?" Alianna asked, trying to take everything Murtagh just said in.

"Of course," Murtagh said, "I love you."

Alianna wiped away her tears and replied, "I love you too."

Murtagh slowly leaned in closer to Alianna, their faces only inches apart. Just as their lips were about to meet, the door burst open and in came a group of guards.

"The king wishes to see you immediately." one of the guards said to Murtagh.

Murtagh sighed and said angrily, "I just got back. Can I please have a few minutes alone with my wife?"

"I'm afraid not," the guard answered, "Let's go!"

Alianna watched in horror as the guards grabbed Murtagh and began to walk out of the room. This couldn't be happening. She had finally been reunited with Murtagh just minutes ago. Alianna wasn't about to lose him again. She quickly stepped in front of the guards and blocked their way out.

With her sword firmly in her hand, Alianna said, "Release him!"

"We can't," one of the guards said, "The king gave us orders. He insists on Murtagh being brought to him right away."

"Then I'm going as well," Alianna replied, "I'm not about to let Murtagh be alone with my father."

Alianna could tell that the guard (who she now recognized as Kayin, Galbatorix's new head guard) was becoming annoyed with her. The two of them argued back and forth for several minutes. Murtagh tried to come to Alianna's defense, but the other guards held him back.

"This is the last time I'm going to say this," Kayin said, "Get out of our way before I make you move!"

"Don't speak to her that way!" Murtagh told him. As a result, Kayin dealt Murtagh a blow to the stomach.

"Silence!" Kayin ordered.

Alianna quickly held her sword to Kayin's throat and told him if he layed a hand on Murtagh again that she would kill him.

"You wouldn't dare," Kayin said nervously.

Alianna pressed the sword even harder on Kayin's throat, "Try me!"

Kayin replied, "Fine, I won't harm Murtagh again. You have my word."

Alianna slowly lowered her sword. As soon as she did that, Kayin began to grab Alianna by the arm and tried to move her aside. Alianna pulled back and was about to use magic to attack Kayin, when Argus walked in.

"What's going on?" Argus asked.

"They're trying to take Murtagh to my father." Alianna explained, "They refuse to let me go with them."

"We're just following orders." Kayin said, "They king wishes to see Murtagh… alone!"

Argus nodded and turned his attention to Alianna, "Perhaps it would be best if you stayed behind."

Alianna was stunned. She couldn't believe what Argus had just said. Alianna felt like Argus was betraying her. The two of them had become so close over the past few months. He should be taking her side over Kayin's.

Argus could sense what Alianna was thinking and said, "I'm not taking anyone's side. But if you go, you may end up making things worse for Murtagh."

"Enough of this," Kayin said, he looked at the other guards, "Lets go!"

Murtagh tried to get to Alianna, but the guards grabbed him. Alianna was in tears as she watched Murtagh and the other guards quickly leave. As soon as the door was shut, Alianna sat down in a nearby chair and began to sob. It felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest. Alianna knew that her father would punish Murtagh severely for what he had done. He might even kill him. Panic filled Alianna and she began shaking. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Murtagh again.

Not knowing what else to do, Argus took out his waterskin and handed it to Alianna. Alianna thanked him and drank the water in small sips. This seemed to calm her down somewhat, but she was still worried.

"I'm sorry Alianna," Argus said, "Please try and understand. I was only trying to help."

"I know," Alianna replied, "I'm sorry for the way I acted."

"You don't need to apologize. I understand. I probably would've done the same thing if I were in your situation."

Alianna sighed, "I just hope Murtagh will be alright."

"I'm sure he will be," Argus said, "Try not to worry so much."

_"How can I not worry?" _Alianna thought.

When she finished the water, Argus asked Alianna if there was anything else he could get her. Alianna gave him a small smile and said no, she was fine for now.

"Thank you though," she said.

"I'm glad I could help." Argus replied.

Alianna and Argus then began walking back to Alianna's chambers. They tried to ignore the stares and whispers from various servants as they walked by.

Along the way, Alianna asked Argus, "Do you know who those horrible twins were?"

"No, I don't," Argus answered, "Do you?"

Alianna nodded no. Until tonight, she had never seen them before. This was odd, since Alianna thought she knew just about everyone who worked for her father. Alianna decided she would ask Murtagh about them later. That is, unless Galbatorix killed Murtagh first.

"Stop thinking like that!" Argus told her as they entered Alianna's chambers, "Murtagh's going to be alright."

Alianna hoped so. She decided to read a book in order to keep herself distracted. This worked for awhile, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Murtagh and the horrible things Galbatorix might be doing to him. The next few hours were pure torture. Time seemed to move slowly. Argus did what he could to comfort Alianna, but it didn't help much.

"I should've gone with him," Alianna said, turning to Argus, "Why did I ever listen to you?"

"Calm down," Argus replied.

"I wish you would stop saying that! How can I possibly calm down? Murtagh could be dead for all I know."

"You getting worked up like this isn't going to help the situation."

Alianna thought for a moment, and then said, "I guess you're right."

Suddenly, the door to the room opened. Murtagh slowly walked in looking more beat up then he had before, but that didn't matter to Alianna. The important thing was he was alive. Tears fell down Alianna's cheeks as she stared at Murtagh, not knowing what to say to him at first.

Argus looked at them and said, "You two have a lot to catch up on. If you need anything, I'll be out in the hall."

Alianna nodded and turned her attention back to Murtagh. She walked up to him and for the first time in months, their lips met in a kiss. Having been separated for so long, their kiss became more and more passionate with each passing second. Murtagh gently pulled Alianna closer to him. After a few minutes, the two of them finally separated in order to catch their breath. Without even realizing it, Alianna began to cry again. Murtagh wiped the tears from her face.

"It's okay," he said, "I'm here."

Alianna kissed Murtagh again and then asked, "Are you alright? What did my father do to you? What did he say?"

"Lets not talk about that now." Murtagh said, taking Alianna's hand in his. As they walked towards their bed, it was then that Murtagh finally noticed Alianna limping, "What happened?"

Alianna looked at him sadly, "I damaged my leg pretty badly when Evander threw me off my horse. The healers could only do so much. It's not as bad as it use to be though. There was I time when I couldn't even stand on my own."

This time it looked like Murtagh was the one who was going to cry.

Alianna continued, "Murtagh, it's alright. I'm better now. It doesn't hurt as much and I just walk with a limp. I've gotten use to it."

Murtagh had an angry look on his face as he spoke, "Where's Evander? I'll kill him for what he's done to you!"

"It's too late," Alianna told him, "He's already dead. I really don't want to talk about it anymore."

Alianna and Murtagh sat down on their bed and started kissing again. Within a matter of seconds, they had their clothes off. Murtagh gently layed Alianna down and they made love. Alianna had forgotten how wonderful it was to be with Murtagh like this. When it was all over, she smiled as Murtagh held her in his arms and kissed her.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," Murtagh said as he held Alianna closer.

Not long after that, Alianna slowly drifted off to sleep- no longer feeling that a part of herself was missing.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: I apologize if anything in this chapter isn't quite accurate. It's been a long time since I've read Eragon and I tried to do certain parts by memory. Anyway, I hope everyone had a really nice Thanksgiving. Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review ;) **

The next morning, Alianna awoke with Murtagh's arms gripped tightly around her. She looked at him and saw that he was already awake.

Alianna smiled and asked, "How long have you been up?"

"Awhile," Murtagh told her.

"You don't have to hold me so tight you know. I'm not going anywhere."

"I know, it's just…"

"Just what?"

"Nothing," Murtagh said as he sat up.

Alianna knew that something was going on, but decided not to press Murtagh any further. Instead she asked him about the Twins and if he knew who they were. Murtagh told her that until recently, he thought that the Twins had worked for the Varden.

"I realize now of course," Murtagh said, "That they must've been spies for Galbatorix this whole time."

"So it's true?" asked Alianna, "You really did go to the Varden."

Murtagh nodded.

Alianna continued, "How did you end up there?"

"It's a long story." Murtagh sighed.

"We've got time."

Alianna listened intently as Murtagh told her that, while he was at his friend's estate, he heard news that the Ra'zac were tracking someone.

"I had also heard news that there was a new Rider," Murtagh said, "So I knew that's who the Ra'zac must be after. I left my friend's estate and began tracking them down in the hopes of finding the Rider. I did."

Alianna was surprised, "You found Eragon?"

Murtagh nodded, "Yes." He then proceeded to tell Alianna how he had come upon the Ra'zac attacking Eragon and Brom.

_"Brom?" _Alianna asked herself.

That name seemed so familiar. She knew Brom was the one that killed three of the Forsworn (including Morzan) and was responsible for the deaths of five others, but it seemed so much more than that. Since she could not figure out the reason, Alianna just shrugged her shoulders and continued to listen to Murtagh's story. He told her about Brom's death, what Eragon and his dragon Saphira were like, and how he ended up traveling to the Varden with Eragon.

"I never thought you would go there." Alianna said.

"Neither did I," Murtagh told her, "My plan was to travel with Eragon only so far and once we neared the Varden, I would leave. It didn't work out that way."

Murtagh then began to tell Alianna what happened along the way: rescuing Eragon and the elf Arya from Gilead, their long trip through the Hadarac Desert, how he was treated when they arrived at the Varden, and finally, the big battle at Farthen Dur and how he ended up back in Uru'baen.

"Wow," Alianna said once Murtagh was finished telling his story, "You've certainly been through a lot. Does my father know about all this?"

"Yes," Murtagh replied, and then quickly changed the subject, "I take it you've been through a lot as well."

Alianna nodded sadly. Just as she was about to tell Murtagh what happened to her while he was gone, she heard the door open and in walked Argus. Alianna let out a small scream and quickly pulled the sheets over her body.

"Argus!" Alianna said.

"What are you doing in here?" Murtagh asked.

Argus looked up and immediately turned his head away, his face turning bright red, "I'm so sorry! I thought you'd be up by now. I should've knocked first… I'm sorry…" Not knowing what else to say, Argus left the room.

Alianna and Murtagh got out of bed and quickly got dressed. A few minutes later, Alianna opened the door, "Argus, you can come back in now."

Argus walked in, "I really am sorry."

"It's alright," Alianna said.

Argus replied, "I was coming to tell you that the king wants the two of you to eat breakfast with him in the dining hall."

Alianna was surprised, "Why? I haven't eaten with him in months."

"I'm just telling you what he said." Argus told her.

Alianna nodded, "We'll be ready in a moment."

Argus smiled, "Alright. Is there anything special you'd like for breakfast? I'll ask the cooks to make it."

"No, but thank you. I'm sure whatever they make will be just fine."

Argus gave Alianna a quick hug and then left the room. When Alianna started waling back towards Murtagh, she noticed right away that something was wrong. She saw that Murtagh was angry and had a strange look on his face. Murtagh just glanced at Alianna briefly and then looked the other way.

"What?" Alianna asked.

"Nothing," Murtagh said coldly, still refusing to look at Alianna.

Alianna didn't understand what was going on. She gently touched Murtagh on the arm and said, "Tell me."

Murtagh jerked his arm back, "Just forget about it."

Alianna grabbed Murtagh by the arm and forced him to look at her, "No! I won't forget about it. I want to know what's going on."

"Fine," Murtagh said, "It's Argus."

"What about him?" Alianna asked.

"The two of you seem to have gotten awfully close."

Alianna rolled her eyes, "It's not like that. Argus and I are just friends."

She let go of Murtagh's arm and he told her that the servants had been talking.

"Some of the servants love to gossip." Alianna told him, "It's what they do. I swear, the things they're saying about Argus and I are just rumors."

Murtagh was not convinced at all, "Are they? It sure didn't look that way when he was hugging you just now. I was gone for a long time… maybe the two of you did…"

Alianna was becoming angrier by the minute. Tears formed in her eyes and soon were slowly trickling down her cheeks. Her voice grew louder, "How dare you accuse me of being unfaithful! I love you."

Murtagh shook his head, "Well you have a funny way of showing it!"

That was it. Alianna began to shout and she didn't care who heard her, "You bastard! You have no idea what I've been through!"

Frustrated, Murtagh walked over to their bed and sat back down, "Then tell me."

Alianna walked over and sat next to him, "When I was captured and brought back to the castle, I was unconscious for two days. When I finally woke up, I confronted my father. I refused to tell him where you were going, so he tried to beat it out of me. He beat me so bad that my face was covered in blood afterwards. But no matter how hard he beat me, I never told him where you were. For weeks I could barely eat or sleep. There were even times when I wanted to die. Argus was so kind to me. He was the only friend I had all those months. Who know what would've happened had Argus not been there for me."

Murtagh sat there for a minute, stunned. He didn't know what to say.

Alianna tried to fight back the tears as she continued, "So don't you ever doubt that I love you again. I went through hell for you!"

Murtagh slowly leaned in and kissed Alianna. He then said with a sad tone in his voice, "I'm sorry. I had no idea it was that bad. I never should've reacted that way. I just don't want to lose you."

"You won't," Alianna assured him.

There was a long, awkward silence before Murtagh spoke again, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"You said that Argus was your only friend. What about Emma?"

A rush of sadness came over Alianna at the mention of that name. Because of the painful memories it brought back, it had been a long time since Alianna had thought of Emma.

Finally, Alianna said, "Emma is dead."

Murtagh was shocked, "What? But how? Was she sick?"

Alianna shook her head no, "My father he… he killed her when she refused to tell him where we were. It's all my fault."

"How is it your fault?" Murtagh asked.

"I should've convinced her to come with us. I should've…"

At this point, Alianna began sobbing.

Murtagh put his arm around her, "Don't think like that. You'll drive yourself crazy. Galbatorix killed Emma, not you. You didn't do anything wrong."

Alianna wiped the tears from her face, "I guess you're right." She took a deep breath to relax and then said, "We should probably get going. My father will be angry if we're late."

Murtagh nodded and then the two of them walked out into the hall where Argus was waiting. Alianna could tell by the look on Argus' face that he had heard the whole argument. Yet, he didn't say a word about it.

Murtagh approached Argus and said, "Thank you."

Argus looked at Murtagh strangely, "For what?"

"For being there for Alianna when I couldn't be."

"You're welcome," Argus said, smiling slightly as the three of them began walking down to the dining hall.

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When Alianna and Murtagh arrived at the dining hall, Galbatorix was already there looking very angry, as usual.

"Took you long enough." Galbatorix said harshly.

Alianna simply shook her head and sat down, "Is there any time when you aren't angry, Father?"

"Enough! I won't allow this kind of talk."

"I swear, every time we eat together we end up in an argument." Alianna said, "Just tell me what I did wrong this time Father so we can get this over with."

Galbatorix turned to Murtagh, "You allow her to speak like that?"

"She may be my wife," Murtagh said, "But I don't control her. Unlike you, I don't treat Alianna like property. Besides, she has a point."

The second those words were out of Murtagh's mouth, Alianna knew he was in trouble. It was different when Alianna talked back to her father- she knew he couldn't kill her. Before Alianna could come to Murtagh's defense however, Galbatorix spoke again.

"I'll deal with you later," Galbatorix said to Murtagh. He then turned his attention back to Alianna, "I hear you were threatening my guards again."

Alianna smirked, "So that's what this is about. Well Father, I suggest you train your guards better. I was able to get a sword to Kayin's throat very quickly."

Galbatorix cursed at himself, "I never should've had you trained so well."

"It's too late now." Alianna told him.

"True," Galbatorix said, "However, you will never threaten my guards again. Do you understand?"

"But…"

Suddenly, Galbatorix grabbed Alianna by the throat, forcing her up. Murtagh tried to run over and help his wife, but Galbatorix used magic to thrust him backwards.

"I said, do you understand?"

"Yes Father," Alianna said weakly.

"Good," Galbatorix said as he let go of Alianna's throat and sat back down, "If you talk back again, you'll be forbidden from leaving the castle."

Alianna was confused, "I thought I was already forbidden from leaving the castle."

"Before you began your little rant, I was going to tell you that I've decided you may leave the castle and walk around the grounds and to the stables. But I don't want you venturing far into the city and you must always be accompanied by either Murtagh or Argus."

"Aren't you afraid I'll try to escape again?" Alianna asked, surprised at what her father just said.

At that moment, for some reason, Galbatorix looked at Murtagh and stared at him for the longest time. He then looked back at Alianna and said, "No, I don't think you will."

Alianna had no idea what was going on. There was obviously something Murtagh wasn't telling her. She decided she would ask him about it later.

The rest of the meal was fairly quiet. Alianna and Murtagh exchanged a few words, but Galbatorix spoke very little. However, once everyone was done eating and Alianna and Murtagh were about to leave, Galbatorix asked to speak with Murtagh privately. Alianna wondered what this was about, but decided not to say anything since she didn't feel like arguing with her father again. Instead, Alianna went out into the hall and waited with Argus.

Immediately, Argus noticed that marks on Alianna's neck and asked, "Are you alright? What happened?"

Alianna told Argus all about the argument she had had with her father.

Argus shook his head and said, "Alianna, you must try and think before you actually say something. You're going to keep getting yourself into trouble if you don't. Your father is a very powerful man."

"He can't kill me."

"But he can make your life miserable."

"He already does."

Argus gave up, knowing he was not going to win this argument. It was at this point that Murtagh finally came out of the dining hall.

"Are you alright?" Alianna asked her husband, "What did my father say?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about." Murtagh replied, "Listen, there's something I have to do. I should be back late this afternoon."

Alianna's eyes widened, "But you just got back last night! What's going on? I thought we were going to spend time together."

"We will," Murtagh assured her, "I promise. We'll go for a walk later and visit the stables… whatever you want. But I have to go." He kissed her gently, "I love you."

"I love you too." Alianna said, kissing him back, "Please be careful."

Murtagh didn't say anything. He simply nodded and started walking down the hall.

"What was that all about?" Argus asked later, when he and Alianna were back in her room.

"I don't know," Alianna said, "Something is going on though. I just wish I knew what it was."

"I wouldn't worry too much." Argus replied, "I'm sure Murtagh will be fine."

"I hope so," Alianna sighed.

Over the next few hours, Alianna spent a good amount of time reading books in the library. Reading always seemed to relax Alianna and distract her from whatever she was worrying about. After a quick lunch, she decided to take a nap. Not long after she fell asleep, Alianna began to have another strange dream-

_In her dream, a man was walking along a trail in a very large forest. Alianna could not make out the man's face, but she knew it was not the same man from her previous dream. This man, (unlike the other) Alianna could sense, was very kind and did not make her afraid. He appeared to be carrying something, although she could not tell what it was. This man continued to walk deeper and deeper into the forest until Alianna could no longer see him…_

_"Why do I keep having these strange dreams?" _she asked herself.

Alianna slowly got up. She wondered what this latest dream was about as she waited for Murtagh to return.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: I wanted to get this chapter up by Christmas. Think of it as my present to all of you lol. Anyway, I know this chapter is a little short and not a whole lot happens in it, but I hope you like it :) **

About an hour later, Murtagh came back. He looked exhausted and appeared to be in a great deal of pain. But despite all of this, he managed to smile as he saw Alianna walk towards him.

"What happened?" Alianna asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Murtagh said as he winced in pain.

Alianna helped him over to their bed, "You're not fine! Why won't you tell me what's going on?"

"I told you," Murtagh said, "It's nothing you need to worry about. Please, lets not talk about this anymore."

Alianna nodded, "Alright," The last thing she wanted to do was get into another argument, "But do you need anything? I can go get one of the healers."

"No, I'll be alright." Murtagh told her, "It's just my back again. Not a big deal." He then changed the subject, "So tell me, what did you do today? You look like something's bothering you."

Alianna began to tell Murtagh about the dream she had earlier. She also told him about the other dream where the woman was being murdered, the one she had had a couple of times over the last few months.

"What do you think it means?" Alianna asked.

"I don't know," Murtagh shrugged, "Could you tell where this was all taking place?"

"No," Alianna replied, "Both places seemed so familiar though… But that's impossible- I've never been outside of Uru'baen."

"Maybe they're premonitions." Murtagh suggested.

Alianna had never thought about that. Perhaps these dreams were trying to tell her about things that were going to happen soon. Maybe Alianna was meant to help these people. But how could she help them when she couldn't make out their faces or tell where they were located?

"I'm sure we'll figure it out." Murtagh said, "Try not to worry so much. Come on, lets go visit the stables. I'm sure it's been awhile since you've seen Bella."

"Are you well enough?" Alianna asked, "We can always go tomorrow."

Murtagh still appeared to be in some pain, but he said, "I'm fine. Besides, I promised you we'd go."

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A few minutes later, Alianna and Murtagh were walking out of the castle. This was he first time Alianna had been outside in many months. She had missed being able to take long walks in the courtyard and riding around on Bella.

As they were walking, Alianna said, "So tell me more about Eragon. What's he like?"

"He's a good person." Murtagh said, "Although I'll admit, there were times when I wanted to wring his neck for some of the situations he got us into."

Murtagh told Alianna all about those situations and also how he had to save Eragon's life on more than one occasion.

_"This is the great Dragon Rider who's suppose to save us all?" _Alianna thought, "_It sounds like he can't even take care of himself."_

When Alianna told Murtagh this, he said, "I thought the same thing at times, but there were other times when Eragon wasn't so bad. We talked a lot and sparred nearly everyday."

"Do you miss him?" Alianna asked.

Murtagh nodded, "He was the closest thing I had to a friend."

Alianna was about to ask Murtagh more when she realized they were nearing the stables. As soon as they reached them they were greeted by Thaddeus, who had been running the stables for as long as Alianna could remember. It was Thaddeus who had taught Alianna to ride when she first got Bella.

"My lady," Thaddeus said, "Is that really you? It's been too long. I heard about everything that happened- are you alright?"

Alianna looked at Murtagh and then back at Thaddeus, "I am now."

"I can see that." Thaddeus said, also looking at Murtagh, "It's good to see you again Murtagh."

"You too," Murtagh replied, "How's your family?"

A sad look came over Thaddeus, "I lost my oldest son in the battle."

"I'm so sorry." Alianna said.

She knew Thaddeus and his family had been through a lot over the past year. His wife had died not long after giving birth to their daughter and now this. Alianna couldn't imagine how difficult it was for Thaddeus to be raising his infant daughter and his other son (who was just two years younger than Alianna) alone.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Alianna asked him, "I can see to it that your family had enough food and clothing…"

Thaddeus interrupted, "That's very kind of you my lady, but we're managing alright. Thank you for the offer though."

"Your welcome."

"Anyway, I bet you're here to see Bella. She's missed you."

"I've missed her too." Alianna told him.

"Come, she's right over here. I was just about to brush her mane."

Alianna smiled, "I can do that."

"A princess shouldn't be doing such things." Thaddeus said.

"I'm not your typical princess." Alianna replied.

"That's for sure." Murtagh said.

Alianna just smiled at him and took the brush from Thaddeus. She spotted Bella in the last stall to the left. Alianna was worried that Bella wouldn't recognize her (it had been such a long time), but as soon as she approached, Bella greeted her happily.

"Hey girl," Alianna said, "How are you?"

Alianna could tell Bella had been well taken care of all these months as she brushed her mane. Once Bella's mane was all brushed, Alianna insisted on riding her. Thaddeus helped Alianna put the saddle on. But when Alianna tried to climb onto Bella, her bad leg started to hurt.

Seeing this, Murtagh said, "Here, let me help you."

"I can do it myself." Alianna insisted.

When Alianna tried it again however, the pain in her leg became worse and she nearly fell over. Luckily, Murtagh was right there to catch her.

Alianna looked at her husband and said, "Maybe I do need some help."

Murtagh helped Alianna climb onto Bella and then got on his own horse.

As they rode around, Murtagh could tell that Alianna was still upset, so he said, "It's alright. You haven't ridden in awhile, that's all. I'm sure once you get use to it again, your leg won't hurt so much."

"I know," Alianna told him, "I just hate asking for help with things I use to be able to do so easily."

"I understand. I'm sure things will get better though."

Alianna and Murtagh rode around for about an hour. After that the walked around the grounds for awhile and then headed back to the castle for dinner. Luckily Galbatorix was too busy to join them, so Alianna and Murtagh were able to eat in peace.

The rest of the evening was rather uneventful. Alianna read for awhile and then talked to Murtagh before the two of them fell asleep.

The next morning, however, Alianna woke up and when she turned over, she saw that Murtagh wasn't there. Panicking, Alianna quickly got dressed and went out into the hall. She found Argus and asked him where Murtagh was.

"He left early this morning." Argus told her, "He said to tell you he'd be back this afternoon."

"Did he mention where he was going?" Alianna asked.

Argus shook his head no.

_"What's going on? Why is Murtagh being so secretive?" _Alianna asked herself as she walked back into her room. She was determined to find out what Murtagh was up to.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: I'm sorry this chapter is so short. I thought about writing a new situation into this chapter, but I decided to just focus on what Murtagh has been up to. I won't say much more, since I don't want to ruin the chapter for you. I really hope you like it. I promise the next one will be longer.**

Things continued like this for the next few weeks. Alianna would wake up to find Murtagh gone and he wouldn't return until very late in the afternoon. When Murtagh did return he was always exhausted and in a great deal of pain.

Many times Alianna would ask Murtagh about where he had been, but he would either tell her it was nothing or change the subject entirely.

Then one morning, Alianna woke up just as Murtagh was leaving the room. She quickly got up and got dressed. She was tired of all the secrets. Today Alianna was going to find out once and for all what Murtagh was up to.

But by the time Alianna left her room and went out into the hallway, Murtagh was long gone. She went back into her room, pulled a bowl out from under her bed, filled it with water and began to scry Murtagh.

From what Alianna could see, Murtagh was walking into a large training room. Alianna recognized this room. It was in the east wing of the castle and she thought she remembered her father saying it had been used by the Forsworn at one time. But why would Murtagh be in there? Alianna projected the image on the water for a few more seconds before letting it go. She then left the room, but before she could get far, she ran into Argus.

"Where are you going?" Argus asked.

"Nowhere," Alianna lied.

But Argus wasn't convinced, "You're lying. You're going after Murtagh aren't you?"

"How did you know?" Alianna asked him.

"I know you," Argus answered, "You have that look on your face that says you're up to something. And since Murtagh just left a few minutes ago, I knew that had to be it."

"I'm tired of all the secrets." Alianna said, "I'm going to find out what Murtagh is up to. Don't try to stop me."

"I won't."

Alianna was surprised, "Really?"

"You have a right to know what's going on." Argus said, "Besides, no matter what I say you're going to go after Murtagh anyway. Just be careful."

"I will be," Alianna assured him, "Thank you." She turned around and began walking towards the east wing.

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It had been a long time since Alianna had been to this end of the castle. Most of these rooms were one that only her father used for the most part. Luckily for Alianna, it was early morning and there weren't too many people around. Finally, she found the training room and slowly opened the door.

The room was all lit up, but Alianna didn't see anyone as she entered the room. She then saw some books lying on a small table. They were all about dark magic and how to cast certain spells. Alianna skimmed through some pages of the first book in the pile and then put it down. She figured that her father had left them there. But then Alianna saw Murtagh in the far corner of the room. He appeared to be speaking in the ancient language. Alianna was confused since she thought Murtagh didn't know much of the language, just a few words and phrases. She slowly began to walk over to Murtagh and when she got there, she froze.

Now that Alianna was closer and could hear him more clearly, she realized that Murtagh wasn't just speaking in the ancient language- he was trying to use magic! Dark magic at that. She knew it was dark magic because she had seen her father use this spell many times.

Alianna couldn't believe what she was seeing. Murtagh was practicing evil! How could he do something like this? Murtagh- her husband and one of the only people she thought she could trust, had lied to her. For a brief moment Alianna wished she hadn't found out what Murtagh was up to. Maybe it would've been better to be kept in the dark then to see what he was doing now.

Finally, Alianna worked up the courage to speak, "Murtagh?!?!"

Murtagh turned around and had a look of terror on his face, "Alianna…"

Alianna could feel her heart tightening in her chest, "Why… how…" She was so upset that she couldn't even speak clearly. She turned around and ran out of the room.

Murtagh followed her shouting, "Alianna, wait! I can explain…"

Murtagh said more, but Alianna didn't hear him. Instead she kept running. Running from what she hoped was all a bad dream.


	19. Chapter 19

Alianna ran all the way back to her room where Argus was waiting for her.

"What's wrong?" Argus asked, seeing how visibly upset Alianna was, "What happened?" Thinking someone had hurt her, he gripped the handle of his sword tightly.

"It's Murtagh," Alianna cried, "He…"

Just then Murtagh came into the room looking very worried. Alianna turned to Argus and told him that she needed to speak to Murtagh privately. Argus simply nodded and left the room quickly. Alianna then looked up at her husband in complete disbelief.

When she didn't saying anything, Murtagh spoke, "Alianna, listen to me. That wasn't what it looked like."

"Oh really?" Alianna asked, "I may be a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. I know what I saw. You were using dark magic! What's going on? Is this what you've been up to for the past few weeks?"

"For the most part, yes." Murtagh admitted.

Alianna couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had hoped this was a bad dream, but now that Murtagh admitted to it, it hit her that this was real. Alianna felt angrier than she had ever felt before.

"Have you lost your mind?" she shouted, "You're using dark magic! You have no idea what you're getting yourself into!"

The tone of Murtagh's voice went from gentle to harsh, "Who are you to stand there and lecture me? If I'm not mistaken, you know how to use dark magic as well!"

"Yes," Alianna said. It was true. A few years ago her father had taught her how to cast certain spells. But no matter how hard he tried, Alianna refused to practice them.

Alianna continued, "But there's a difference between knowing how to do something and actually doing it."

"Well I'm sorry we can't all be as perfect as you!" Murtagh shouted as he stepped closer to Alianna. He was becoming angrier with each passing second.

Alianna rolled her eyes, "I never said I was perfect! Don't change the subject. Where did you learn to use dark magic? It couldn't have just been from reading those books I found."

Murtagh looked at her, "Where do you think I learned it?"

It took Alianna only a second to figure it out, "My father? He's been teaching you?"

Murtagh nodded.

"Why would he do that unless… oh no, you said you would serve him, didn't you?"

"I did," Murtagh reluctantly admitted.

_"This can't be happening." _Alianna thought. One of her worst fears was that Murtagh would turn out to be as evil as Morzan was. She knew that if he agreed to serve her father and practice dark magic, he was heading right down that path. Alianna didn't dare say this to Murtagh though.

Murtagh tried to comfort Alianna by touching her on the arm, "Alianna, if you'll just…"

But Alianna shoved him away, "No! Don't touch me! Not after what you've done. How could you do this to me? To us? This is just how it started last time- you saying you would serve my father. And then, well, I don't have to tell you, you know. I won't let it happen again. I won't let you destroy our family!"

"Destroy our family?" Murtagh asked, surprised, "I'm trying to protect our family! Specifically, you."

Alianna was confused, "Me?"

"If you would just be quiet for a moment, I could explain." Murtagh said.

Alianna, although still very angry, agreed, "Alright, tell me what this is all about. Why did you agree to serve my father? And what does any of this have to do with me?"

"First of all, I didn't agree. I was forced into it." Murtagh told her, "Second, did you really think Galbatorix would let us be together again after everything that's happened?"

"I don't understand." Alianna said.

Murtagh continued, "The night I returned and met with Galbatorix, you can't even begin to imagine the horrors I had to endure. He was so angry, claiming I betrayed him. I…"

Murtagh found it difficult to tell his wife the rest.

"Please," Alianna urged him, "Tell me."

"Alright," Murtagh sighed, "The truth is, I refused to serve him at first. But then he threatened me. He said that if I didn't follow his orders he wouldn't let me see you again and that he'd hurt you."

Alianna told Murtagh that her father could be lying. He often did that in order to get people to do what he wanted.

"He wasn't lying," Murtagh insisted, "And even if he had, I'm not going to take that risk."

"Murtagh this is crazy. I won't let you do this. You're putting yourself at risk."

"I don't care!" Murtagh said as his voice grew louder, "If this is what I have to do in order to keep you safe, I'll do it. I'm not going to lose the only family I've got!"

Alianna slowly sat down on her bed, trying to take everything Murtagh told her in.

Murtagh sat next to her, "I'm sorry. Are you still angry?"

"No, not really." Alianna said, "I just wish you had told me. We're married- we shouldn't keep secrets from each other."

"I was just trying to protect you."

"I know," Alianna replied, "You're a good person Murtagh."

He really was. Murtagh was the kind of person who would do anything to protect the people and things he cared about.

Murtagh sighed and layed down on the bed, "I doubt that."

Alianna layed next to him and rested her head against his shoulder, "You are!" She kissed him gently, "Whether you want to believe it or not. Just promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"Promise me that no matter what happens, no matter how much dark magic you learn, you're not going to let it turn you evil."

"I promise," Murtagh said as he kissed her back. There was a brief silence before he spoke again, "But there's something else I need to tell you."

"What?" Alianna asked, although a bit reluctant.

Murtagh told her that the reason Galbatorix was training him and teaching him dark magic was because he believed Murtagh could be the next Dragon Rider. Alianna had a feeling that might be it, but she was still a little surprised when Murtagh told her.

"Has he taken you to the dragon eggs yet?" she asked.

Murtagh shook his head, "Not yet. He says I still need some more training. But it shouldn't be too much longer."

"Wow," Alianna said, "What are you going to do if you do become a Rider?"

"I don't know," Murtagh answered, "Can we not talk about this right now?"

Alianna agreed. They had done more than enough talking for the day. She smiled and kissed her husband. One thing led to another and before Alianna knew it, they had made love.

"We should fight more often." Murtagh joked afterward as he held Alianna close.

They two of them just layed there in silence until they fell asleep a few minutes later.

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Later that evening after dinner, Alianna and Murtagh were walking around the castle when they came upon Galbatorix's chambers. The door was open ajar and they could hear him talking. They walked over and Alianna peaked through the door. She saw her father standing there talking to the Twins. When Murtagh looked in and saw those evil bald men standing there, he immediately began to draw his sword.

Alianna stopped him and whispered, "Don't. Now is not the time."

Murtagh to his sword back and the two of them began to listen in more closely…

"Is that all you were able to get out of Eragon's mind?" Galbatorix asked.

"Yes my lord," one of the Twins replied.

"And the information you found in there about his mother… you're certain of this?"

"Yes,"

Galbatorix had a peculiar look on his face, "Interesting… well, that'll be all for now. You're dismissed."

Alianna and Murtagh backed away from the door and quickly walked down the hall.

"What was that all about?" Alianna asked.

"I don't know," Murtagh shrugged.

"Did Eragon ever mention anything about his mother to you?"

"No," Murtagh admitted, "He never really told me much about his family."

Alianna was confused. She wondered why her father seemed so interested in Eragon's mother as she and Murtagh went back to their room.


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: No, I'm not dead lol. I've just had a really bad case of writers block and I was sick with the stomach virus at one point. I'm so happy this chapter is finally finished. I hope everyone isn't too mad. This chapter is a little different in the sense that I wanted to take a break from all the drama in this story. I mean, there's a little drama in one point, but not that much. Murtagh may seem a little OOC at times, but I really hope you like this chapter. One final note, Broken turned a year old on Monday (3/10)... wow! It doesn't seem like it's been that long. Thank you so much to everyone who's stuck with this story this long. Okay, I'll shut up now lol. **

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Although Murtagh continued his training with Galbatorix, he made an effort to finish early so that he and Alianna could spend more time together.

One night, Murtagh was late again. Alianna began to pace back and forth, thinking something horrible had happened. Just as she was about to go look for Murtagh, he entered their room with a slight smile on his face.

Alianna was not amused, "Where have you been? I was worried."

"I'm fine," Murtagh said as he took Alianna by the hand and began leading her out of the room, "Come on."

Alianna was confused, "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Murtagh told her.

"But…"

"Don't worry, I talked to Argus and he said he would cover for us. Lets go."

Murtagh led Alianna out of the castle using one of the many secret exits that they knew. They walked out of the courtyard and all the way past the training field. This was the farthest Alianna had ventured out since the night she and Murtagh had tried to escape. 

Alianna turned to Murtagh, "Are you ever going to tell me where we're going? Or are we just going to walk around aimlessly all night?"

Murtagh chuckled, "Just be patient. We're almost there."

A few minutes later, they arrived on the banks of the Ramr river. It was a beautiful night to be there. The moon was glistening over the clear water and the stars shone brightly in the sky. 

"Is this the surprise?" Alianna asked. 

Murtagh nodded, "Do you remember when we use to come here as kids?" 

"Of course," Alianna said. If they weren't at their hut in the forest, Alianna and Murtagh would be here, where they would spend countless hours laying on the ground and looking up at the stars. 

Murtagh sat down and said, "I thought this would be the perfect place to just relax and spend time together. You know, to get away from everything for awhile."

"It's a nice surprise," Alianna replied as she sat down next to him. 

"That's not all. I have something for you."

Murtagh took out a small pouch and handed it to Alianna. Alianna gasped when she opened it and saw what was inside. It was a silver bracelet that had several small sapphires on it.

"Do you like it?" Murtagh asked her.

"It's beautiful! I love sapphires."

Murtagh smiled, "I know."

Alianna kissed her husband and then put the bracelet on. It went beautifully with her locket. The two of them then layed down on the ground and began looking up at the stars. As they did this, Alianna recalled another time they has pent here-

_It was late one night and 12 year old Alianna had just been in a terrible argument with her father, over what, she couldn't recall. She had managed to get passed her guards and ran all the way down to the river, hoping for some peace and quiet. This was not to be, however, because Murtagh was already there when she arrived._

_Alianna rolled her eyes, "What are you doing here?"_

_Murtagh stood up, "I should ask you the same question."_

_"I came here to be alone. " she told him, "I can't take it anymore!"_

_"Poor princess," Murtagh said, "Having servants wait on you hand and foot. Being given anything you want. It must be so hard being you."_

_"Stop it!" Alianna replied angrily, "I meant my father and the way he treats me. I swear, I'm going to run away." She began to cry._

_Murtagh moved closer to her, "How are you going to manage that, princess? Where will you go?"_

_"I don't know," Alianna shrugged, "I'll think of something."_

_"So you're just going to run away and not have a plan? Are you that stupid?"_

_"I AM NOT STUPID!" Alianna shouted as she pushed Murtagh._

_Murtagh fell backwards into the river, creating a loud splash. Alianna couldn't help but laugh as she watched Murtagh make his way back onto the bank, his clothes and hair dripping wet. _

_"Why did you do that?" Murtagh asked, furious. _

_"I don't like to be called stupid." Alianna said. _

_Murtagh didn't say a word. Instead, he pushed Alianna and she too fell into the river. But unlike Murtagh, Alianna cut her leg on a sharp rock. She cried out in pain as she tried to stand up. _

_"Owww!"_

_"What happened?" Murtagh asked her._

_"I cut my leg. This is all your fault!"_

_To Alianna's surprise, Murtagh actually walked over and helped her out of the river. The two of them then sat down on the bank. _

_"Let me see your leg." Murtagh said. _

_Alianna jerked back, "No!"_

_"You don't have much of a choice." Murtagh told her. When Alianna hesitated, he said gently, "Just let me see it."_

_Alianna slowly lifted up her skirt. She gasped when she saw the cut. It was worse then she thought. The cut was about an inch wide and was bleeding heavily._

_Murtagh's eyes widened and he panicked, "I swear, I didn't mean for you to get hurt." He quickly took off one of his shirts and pressed it firmly against Alianna's leg, "Here, this should help."_

_Alianna looked up at him. Just as she was about to thank Murtagh, Argus appeared, looking very angry, but relieved at the same time._

_"There you are!" Argus said, "I have been looking for you everywhere. My lady, you mustn't run off like that. It's far too dangerous. You could've-" It was then that Argus looked down and saw Alianna and Murtagh on the ground- with Alianna's skirt lifted just above her knees and one of her leg's bleeding._

_Argus took one look at Murtagh and shouted, "You! How dare you try and take advantage of her. Why I'll…"_

_Alianna, despite the pain she was in, stood up, "Argus, don't! He didn't take advantage of me. It was an accident."_

_Argus looked at her strangely, "An accident?"_

_"Yes. Murtagh and I were swimming and I hit my leg on a rock. He helped me out of the river and everything." She turned to Murtagh, "Right?"_

_Murtagh didn't say a word, he just slowly nodded his head. _

_Argus did not look convinced, but he said to Alianna, "If you say so. My lady, we need to get back to the castle."_

_"Alright," Alianna said. She glanced at Murtagh for a moment before she and Argus left. Murtagh looked like he wanted to say something to her, but he didn't._

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_As they made their way back to the castle, Argus looked down at Alianna's leg and said, "You really should have a healer look at that."_

_Alianna shook her head no, "I can't. I don't want my father to find out."_

_Argus kept insisting, saying that her cut could get infected. Alianna still refused, but to make Argus feel better, she agreed to let Emma look at it when she got back._

_"May I ask you a question?" Argus asked._

_"Of course," Alianna replied._

_"How did you really cut your leg?"_

_Alianna looked away from Argus as she said, "I told you, it happened when Murtagh and I went swimming."_

_"Since when do you go swimming in your gown?"_

_When Alianna didn't say anything, Argus continued, "I thought you said you didn't like Murtagh."_

_"I don't."_

_"Then why are you lying for him?"_

_"I'm not!"_

_Argus shook his head, "My lady, I can tell when you're lying. I know Murtagh had something to do with you getting hurt."_

_Alianna was becoming irritated, "Argus, I don't want to talk about this anymore! Please…"_

_"As you wish my lady." Argus sighed._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alianna came back to reality when Murtagh asked, "Are you alright?"

Alianna nodded, "I was just thinking about that time we came here when I was 12. You know, when you pushed me into the river."

Murtagh reminded Alianna that she was the one who pushed him into the river first. The two of them then started to laugh. 

Murtagh kissed her and then asked, "You never told the truth about that night, did you?"

Alianna told him no, she hadn't. She knew how much trouble he'd be in if she had said what really happened. She didn't want anyone (not even Murtagh) to endure the wrath of her father if it could be avoided. Perhaps Alianna really did care for Murtagh back then, she just didn't realize it.

Alianna snuggled closer to Murtagh. The two of them layed around looking at the stars and talking for about another hour.

Murtagh sighed, "I guess we better head back now." He helped Alianna up and they began to walk back to the castle.

"This was a really good idea." Alianna said.

Murtagh smiled, "I'm glad you had a good time."

Alianna smiled back at her husband. It was nice to get away from all the drama in their life, even if it had only been for a few hours.

�


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: This is probably the longest chapter I've written so far! I hope you all like it. I worked really hard on it. Reviews would be nice :)**

Alianna and Murtagh arrived back at the castle and were relieved to discover that Galbatorix had not found out where they had gone. When they reached their chambers, they thanked Argus for covering for them.

"There's no need to thank me." Argus said.

Alianna smiled, "You're so good to us Argus. I hope you didn't get into any trouble for this."

"Not at all." Argus told her. He realized it was getting late, so he said good night to Alianna and Murtagh, "I'll see the two of you in the morning."

"Good night," Alianna and Murtagh both said.

Once Argus left, Alianna and Murtagh got ready for bed. They were so tired that they fell asleep not long after their heads touched the pillows.

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The next morning just after dawn, Murtagh was getting ready to leave for his training. He told Alianna that he would try and make it back early. Alianna sighed and slowly got out of bed.

"I don't like this anymore then you do." Murtagh said as he kissed his wife, "But I have to go."

Alianna just nodded as she watched Murtagh leave the room. She then got up and got dressed. A few minutes later, Argus walked in.

"Is everything alright?" Argus asked, sensing something was bothering her.

Alianna sighed, "I'm just worried about Murtagh."

"I'm sure he'll be fine. Your father trained you when he thought you might become a Rider and you came out of it alright."

Alianna shook her head, "It's different this time. Everyday when Murtagh returns, he's in so much pain, although he refuses to admit it. And he never goes into details about his training. I don't know how much more of this Murtagh can take. This is all my fault."

"How is it your fault?" Argus asked, puzzled.

It then occurred to Alianna that although Argus knew Murtagh was serving her father, he did not know the reason behind it.

"He's doing this to protect me. My father told Murtagh that he would hurt me and never let him see me again if he didn't do as he ordered."

"I knew there had to be a reason behind it." Argus said, "I'm so sorry."

Alianna replied, "I've tried to talk him out of it, but he won't change his mind. He's so stubborn."

Argus couldn't help but smile, "You mean he's like you?"

"I'm not stubborn!" Alianna insisted.

Argus gave Alianna a strange look and she finally admitted that perhaps she was a little stubborn.

"I have something for you." Argus said, hoping to change the subject, "I was in the library yesterday when I came across this." He handed Alianna a book.

Alianna skimmed through the book and smiled, "I've been looking for this one for awhile. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Argus replied.

Alianna put the book on her nightstand, intending to read it that night when she had a chance.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Argus asked her.

Alianna thought for a moment and then said, "I'd like to go down to the training field. It's been awhile since I've sparred."

Argus didn't think it was a good idea. He was afraid that Alianna might hurt her bad leg. When he told Alianna this, she insisted that she would be fine.

"It doesn't hurt so much anymore." Alianna told him, "Please…"

"But Murtagh won't be back until tonight." Argus said.

"I'll spar with you then."

"Spar with me?" Argus asked, surprised, "Alianna, it's not proper for me to…"

Alianna interrupted. "What's the matter Argus? Are you afraid I'll beat you?"

"Of course not."

"Then lets go," Alianna insisted as she stood up.

Argus had every intention of saying no, but somehow he couldn't. "As you wish." he said as he followed Alianna out of the room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Alianna and Argus made their way to the training field, Alianna noticed that several women of the royal court were staring at Argus and smiling.

"I could introduce you." Alianna offered.

"Introduce me?" Argus asked.

"To those women over there." Alianna said.

Argus looked at the women and then back at Alianna, "I don't think so."

"Why not? They're very nice. They're not like Lavina was."

"I'm not interested." Argus told her.

"But why?" Alianna wondered. She had always thought it was a bit odd that Argus hadn't married yet. After all, Argus was 33. Most men in Uru'baen that age had been married for years and had a couple of kids.

"I don't want to discuss this! I said no." Argus said harshly.

Alianna was taken back. In all the years she had known him, Argus had never spoken to her like that.

Argus quickly apologized, "Forgive me, Alianna. I shouldn't have…"

Alianna interrupted, "It's alright." She decided not to bring up the subject again though.

When they arrived at the training field a few minutes later, Argus still didn't think sparring was a good idea.

"Would you relax?" Alianna said to him, "Nothing bad is going to happen."

"I hope not." Argus sighed as he drew his sword.

Alianna drew her sword and said, "Geuloth du knifr." She took Argus' sword and repeated the phrase. She did this to dull their swords so they wouldn't kill each other when they sparred.

Argus positioned himself, "Ready?"

"Ready," Alianna told him.

Argus turned out to be very good with a sword. This didn't surprise Alianna at all. She knew that at one point, Argus had been one of the most skilled soldiers in Galbatorix's army (that's why he had been given thejob as her head guard).

As their sparring intensified, Alianna found it difficult to keep up with Argus. This she figured was due to the fact that she hadn't practiced in awhile. Alianna's leg also began to bother her a bit (although the pain was not unbearable), but she didn't dare mention this to Argus.

"You're good," Alianna said to Argus as they were taking a break.

"So are you," Argus replied.

"I'm not as good as I use to be." Alianna sighed.

"You just haven't trained in awhile, that's all. I'm sure you'll be back to your old self soon."

"I hope you're right." Alianna said as she began to stand back up, "Lets get started a…" Suddenly, Alianna felt very lightheaded and nearly fell to the ground.

Argus rushed over to her side, "What's wrong?"

"I just don't feel good." Alianna told him. She couldn't understand it. Just a moment ago she had felt fine.

Argus shook his head, "I knew sparring was a bad idea. I never should've let you talk me into this."

Alianna told him that this didn't happen because of them sparring, although to be honest, she didn't know why she was feeling this way. Argus wanted to take her to a healer, but she refused.

"I'll be fine." she assured him, even though she seemed to be growing paler by the minute.

Argus rolled his eyes, "No you're not. You're sick. Stop being so stubborn and let me take you to a healer."

"I'm not a child, Argus." Alianna said, "You can't make me go if I don't want to."

"You're right, I can't." Argus admitted, "I'm just concerned. If you won't let me take you to a healer, at least let me take you back to your chambers to rest."

Alianna agreed to this, mainly because she knew Argus wasn't going to give up. They sent for Alianna's horse (she didn't feel well enough to walk back) and then the two of them slowly made their way back to the castle. As soon as they got there and up to Alianna's chambers, Alianna immediately layed down in bed. Argus had some soup brought up, but Alianna was only able to eat a few spoonfuls before she felt sick.

Argus really began to worry at this point, "Maybe you should get some sleep." He sat down in the chair next to her bed.

Alianna didn't argue with him this time. She pulled the covers over her body and was asleep within a few minutes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alianna woke up a few hours later. She was feeling a lot better then she did before, although she was still a little lightheaded. She sat up and noticed that Argus was still sitting in the chair next to her bed.

"Have you been sitting there the whole time?" Alianna asked.

"Yes," Argus admitted.

Alianna smiled and was about to say something, but Murtagh walked into the room. Right away Alianna knew something was wrong with him, but she couldn't figure out what it was.

Murtagh looked at his wife, concerned, "Are you alright?"

Alianna told Murtagh how she and Argus had been out sparring when she suddenly felt lightheaded. She tried to tell Murtagh that she was feeling much better now, but he wouldn't listen. He wanted Alianna to go and see a healer.

"Good luck," Argus said, "I tried telling her to go, but she wouldn't listen."

Alianna looked at both of them, "I'm fine, really."

Once Argus left, Murtagh sat down next to Alianna and kissed her, "There's something I have to tell you."

"What is it?" Alianna asked, curious.

"Tomorrow, Galbatorix is taking me down to the dragon eggs. He says I'm ready."

Alianna couldn't believe it. She knew this day would come eventually, but it still came as a surprise. A part of Alianna wanted Murtagh to become a Rider, he'd certainly make a good one. But the other part of her didn't want either egg to hatch for him. She knew what would happen- lots more training, he'd be in the front lines when they eventually battled the Varden again and worst of all, he'd be forced to swear loyalty to Galbatorix (once that happened it would be very difficult to get out of). Alianna could tell by the look on his face that Murtagh was scared, although he would never admit it.

"Everything will be alright." Alianna said, "No matter what happens." She tried to give Murtagh a hug, but she saw that he was wincing in pain and favoring his back. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Murtagh said as he stood up and tried to act like he wasn't in pain.

Alianna wasn't convinced at all, "I don't believe you. Let me see."

Murtagh was very hesitant, but he eventually gave in. Alianna walked over to him and slowly lifted up his shirt. She gasped at what she saw- Murtagh's back was covered in large, purple bruises. When Alianna gently ran her fingers over Murtagh's scare, he cried out.

"Sorry," Alianna said.

Murtagh turned and looked at Alianna, "It's really not that bad."

Alianna couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Not that bad? Murtagh, you're hurt! You can't keep doing this to yourself."

"We've been over this a thousand times," Murtagh said, "I'll do what ever it takes to protect you. Even if that means having Galbatorix…"

Alianna interrupted him, "My father did this to you?"

Murtagh nodded yes.

Alianna stood up, "Excuse me…" She started to walk towards the door.

Murtagh knew exactly what Alianna was planning. He quickly walked over to her, "Alianna, don't! You've been sick all day."

"I don't care!" Alianna replied, "This has to stop."

Murtagh grabbed her arm, "Alianna…"

Alianna yanked her arm back, "Don't try and stop me." She walked out of her room and into the hall.

Murtagh didn't go after her. There wasn't much he could do. He knew that once Alianna made up her mind about something, there was little he could do to change it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alianna went out into the hall. She managed to sneak past Argus and walk down the long corridor to Galbatorix's chambers. When she got there, there were two guards outside of the door.

"My lady, what are you doing here?" one of the guards asked.

"I need to see my father." Alianna said.

"The king is not in the best mood."

"He never is. But I still need to talk to him. Step aside, please."

Both of the guards looked at each other, and then back at Alianna.

Alianna was becoming annoyed, "I said step aside!"

"As you wish my lady." the two guards said as they walked away.

Alianna stormed into the room. She could see Galbatorix sitting at a table looking over some maps.

"Father!"

Galbatorix looked up, "Alianna, what are you doing here? How'd you get past my guards? Did you threaten them again?"

Alianna stepped forward, "No, I didn't threaten them. Father, I need to talk to you."

"I don't have time for this." Galbatorix told her.

"Then make time" Alianna replied, not caring how she spoke to her father. The anger inside her was growing, "This has to stop!"

"What has to stop?" Galbatorix asked.

"You know very well what I'm talking about!" Alianna shouted, "Murtagh has bruises all over his back because of your training. You're going to kill him at this rate."

Galbatorix stood up, "Murtagh chose this."

Tears filled Alianna's eyes and she said angrily, "He didn't choose this! You threatened him. You said you'd hurt me if he didn't do as your ordered."

Galbatorix looked surprised as she said this.

Alianna continued, "Yes Father, I knew all about it. I also know that you're teaching Murtagh dark magic and training him in the hopes that he'll be a Rider. You're trying to turn him evil and have him be just like Morzan. Well it won't work. I won't allow it."

Galbatorix walked right up to Alianna and smacked her across the face, "Don't you dare speak to me that way again or you will regret it."

Alianna winced from the pain and then said, "What are you going to do Father? You can't kill me. You can't kill Murtagh either since he may very well become a Rider."

An evil smirk came across Galbatorix's face, "Then I'll have Argus killed."

Alianna's eyes widened and she could feel her heart tightening in her chest. Argus meant so much to her. The thought of losing him brought her to tears.

"So if you dare try and interfere with what I do again," Galbatorix said, "I will not hesitate to kill Argus. Have I made myself clear?"

Alianna nodded, "Yes, Father."

Galbatorix sat back down, "Good. Now get out of here and don't you ever come into my chambers again unless I call for you."

Alianna didn't say another word and just walked back out into the hall. She looked in a mirror and saw a large bruise forming under her eye. As quick as she could, Alianna made it back to her chambers and was relieved to see Argus waiting by the door.

She threw her arms around Argus and started to cry, "Argus! You're alright!"

Argus was confused, "Of course I am." He saw that Alianna was hurt and brought his hand up to her face, but quickly put it down, "Alianna, you never should've run off like that. Murtagh and I were worried sick."

"I'm sorry," Alianna said, "I just needed to talk to my Father. I thought I was doing the right thing. But I was wrong. Argus, I have to talk to you."

"Not now," Argus replied, "You should talk to Murtagh. He'll want to know you're back."

"But Argus, it's important!"

"We'll talk in the morning." Argus said as he walked away.

Alianna slowly walked into her chambers. Murtagh was sitting on their bed, but stood up as soon as he saw Alianna.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Murtagh asked, seeing the bruise on Alianna's face.

"I'm fine," Alianna told him.

Murtagh didn't believe her, "You're lying. Please, tell me what happened."

Alianna started to cry again, "I made a horrible mistake. I never should've talked to my father. Maybe I am stupid…"

Murtagh wiped the tears from Alianna's face, "Alianna, listen to me. You are not stupid. You're the smartest person I know. Everything is going to be okay."

Alianna shook her head, "You don't understand! My father said he would kill Argus if I tried to interfere with his plans again."

"Does Argus know about this?" Murtagh asked.

"No," Alianna said, "I tried to tell him. I think he's upset with me. Are you upset with me too?"

"No, I'm not." Murtagh admitted, "I was worried. Please don't do that again. I'd die if something were to happen to you."

"I know. Believe me, I won't." Alianna assured him.

The two of them at dinner alone that night and then decided to go to sleep early. As Alianna layed there in bed, she thought about what would happen tomorrow when Murtagh was brought to the dragon eggs. No matter what happened, she would support him. Even though Alianna knew that if Murtagh became a Rider, they would spend even less time together then they did now. Alianna sighed, then rolled over and tried to get some sleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, Alianna woke up and saw that Murtagh had already left. She got up and got dressed, then went out into the hall where Argus was.

"Murtagh didn't want to wake you." Argus said to her as they walked back into Alianna's chambers, "He was going down to the dragon eggs."

"Has one of the eggs hatched for him?" Alianna asked.

"Not that I'm aware of." Argus replied. He looked at her face, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Alianna told him, "Argus, I'm sorry about last night."

Argus smiled slightly, "There's no need to apologize."

"You don't understand Argus," Alianna said, "Because of me, your life is in danger!"

Argus looked at her strangely, "What are you talking about? What happened?"

Alianna and Argus both sat down and then she said, "Last night when I tried to talk to my father, he told me that if I tried to interfere again that he'd…" Alianna hesitated saying the next part.

"He'd what?" Argus asked her.

"That he'd kill you! I'm sorry Argus. You must be so angry."

Argus hugged her, "I'm not angry."

Alianna was surprised, "You're not? But…"

"I don't care what happens to me. Alianna, all that matters to me is that you're safe."

"You're so good to me Argus." Alianna said, "I promise I won't run off like that again."

"I know you won't." Argus said. He decided to change the subject, "Why don't you have some breakfast and then we can go for a walk."

"Can we just go for a walk now?" Alianna asked, "I'm really not hungry." Her stomach didn't feel so good, but she didn't tell Argus this.

Argus insisted that Alianna eat something. So to make him happy, Alianna ate a few bites of some fruit. They then took a walk all around the castle. Alianna tried to find out what was going on with Murtagh, but no one she talked to seem to know anything. They walked down the hall to the room where the dragon eggs were, but Alianna didn't dare try to enter it. Instead, she and Argus stood in the hall and waited. Alianna figured that Murtagh must still be in there.

_"It's not interfering if we wait here." _Alianna said to herself.

It seemed like hours passed before the door to the room finally opened. Alianna saw Galbatorix walk out of the room. Luckily, she and Argus were far enough away so that Galbatorix didn't see them. Once Alianna was sure he was gone, she slowly opened the door and entered the room.

The room was dimly lit, but Alianna could see Murtagh standing in the middle. When she called out his name, Murtagh looked up at her with the strangest expression on his face. Alianna couldn't tell what had happened based on this look, so she walked closer to him and that's when she saw a silver oval shaped mark on Murtagh's right hand. Before Alianna had a chance to say anything to her husband, she heard a loud squeaking. She looked over and gasped- there in the far left corner of the room was a red dragon hatchling!


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: This was probably the longest time I've taken in between chapters. I apologize for the delay, but I had something totally different in mind when I first started this chapter. Then I got another idea that I really liked so I decided to start over and go with it. I hope you like it. Just to warn you though, there's no Alianna/Murtagh scenes in this chapter. Shocking I know lol. This chapter is mainly about Argus. Alianna does make an appearance towards the end though. Enjoy and let me know what you think :)**

Argus walked back to his quarters. Normally he wouldn't leave Alianna, but he tried not to interfere when she was with Murtagh. He wanted to be alone anyway. He had a lot on his mind. All day Argus could not stop thinking about how he snapped at Alianna for trying to introduce him to those women. He felt terrible about it- he didn't mean to react that way. Argus knew Alianna meant well, she just didn't know why he couldn't bear the thought of getting involved with another woman-

_It all started 17 years ago when Argus was 16. He had just begun serving in Galbatorix's army and after a long, grueling day of training, decided to wander around the streets of the city. After a few minutes, he noticed a young girl who was walking around looking very confused._

_Argus slowly approached her, "Excuse me…"_

_The girl looked up at him and it felt like his heart had stopped. Although he had little experience in this department, this was, without a doubt, the most beautiful girl Argus had ever seen. Her dark brown hair was long and wavy and she had sparkling green eyes. She wore a simple blue dress that appeared to be worn from travel._

_Argus tried to control himself and continued, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I couldn't help but notice that you looked lost."_

_"Yes, I am." the girl admitted, "My family and I just moved here and we're running low on food. I was looking for the market."_

_Argus smiled, "Well, you're not too far from it. I'd be happy to show you the way."_

_The girl smiled back, "I'd like that very much." She then introduced herself, "My name is Lily." _

_"I'm Argus."_

_"It's nice to meet you Argus."_

_"It's nice to meet you too." Argus said as they began to walk, "So, what brings you to Uru'baen?"_

_"My parents," Lily replied. _

_"What do your parents do?"_

_Lily didn't answer him and quickly change the subject, "What do you do Argus?"_

_"I'm in the army." Argus told her. _

_Lily had the strangest expression on her face, "Oh… so you serve Galbatorix?"_

_"Yes," Argus admitted. Although if he had his way, he'd have nothing to do with the king. It was just that enlisting in the army was something every man his age was required to do. _

_Argus didn't ask Lily why she looked at him the way she did when she told him what he did for a living. Instead the continued to walk until they reached the market._

_Lily turned to Argus, "Thank you."_

_"Would you like me to walk you home?"_

_Lily shook her head no, "That's very kind of you, but I'll be fine."_

_"Are you sure? I don't mind."_

_Once again, Lily told Argus that she would be fine._

_"Alright," Argus said. He said goodbye and began to walk away, but then he turned around, "Will I see you again?"_

_Lily turned around and smiled, "Perhaps we can meet tomorrow."_

_They agreed to meet the following night at the market and from there Argus would show her more of the city._

_"Goodbye Argus."_

_Argus smiled and made his way back home, feeling happier than he had felt in a long time. _

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_The next day, all throughout his training, Argus could not stop thinking about Lily. There was just something about her. _

_Luckily, no one seemed to notice how distracted Argus was. He went about his training as best he could and was happy when it was finally over. He rushed home to change and then made his way to the market. _

_Argus was worried that Lily might've changed her mind and that she wouldn't show up. But Argus breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her approach him._

_"You came," Lily smiled. _

_Argus replied, "I said I would."_

_There was a long, awkward silence before Lily said, "So, you said you would show me around Uru'baen today."_

_Argus nodded and they began to walk. Uru'baen wasn't exactly the nicest city, but Argus showed Lily around all the same. He showed her certain places her family might want to know the location of- the healers, the butcher shop, the seamstresses, the blacksmith, and so much more. Argus noticed that from time to time Lily would glance behind her back. It was almost as if she were afraid that someone was following her._

_"Is everything alright?" Argus asked her. _

_Lily nodded, "Fine. So tell me about your family Argus. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"_

_Argus told Lily that he didn't. He was an only child. Infact, Argus didn't even have parents anymore. His mother had died of pneumonia three years earlier. Argus' father never got over her death and died less than a year later. _

_After Argus told Lily this, Lily said, "I'm so sorry Argus. That must have been hard for you."_

_"It was… it still is. So, what about you?"_

_Lily was very reluctant to tell Argus much about her family. The only things she would tell him was that she also had no brothers or sisters and that her and her parents had traveled a long way to get to Uru'baen._

_Argus then took Lily down to the river where they sat and talked for hours._

_"I should head home." Lily said as she stood up. She had completely lost track of the time. "Thank you for the lovely evening Argus."_

_"Let me walk you home. It's late and the streets are far too dangerous for…"_

_"I appreciate the offer," Lily said, "But I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Goodnight Argus." She smiled and walked away. _

_Argus and Lily continued meeting like that for several months. They would talk for hours on end. He told her about his childhood and his experiences in the army. Argus found out that he had many things in common with Lily- both of them were 16 and very good with a sword. Lily confessed that her father had taught her at a very young age. When Argus tried to ask her more about her past, Lily was very reluctant. Argus thought this was a bit odd, but he never questioned her. _

_It didn't take long for Argus and Lily to fall in love. They spent every spare moment they had together. They shared their first kiss by the river just two weeks after they met. Argus had never felt this way about anyone before. _

_Then one evening, Argus said to Lily, "I'd like to meet your parents."_

_Lily seemed a bit taken back by this, "Why?"_

_Argus took a deep breath and said, "I think it would be only proper for me to ask their permission before I ask you to marry me."_

_Lily's eyes widened and then filled with tears. She quickly turned away so that Argus wouldn't see, but it was too late._

_"What's wrong?" he asked. _

_"Oh Argus," Lily cried, "I can't marry you." _

_Argus couldn't believe it, "Why not? I know I don't have much, but we could make it work."_

_"That's not it."_

_"Don't you love me?"_

_"Of course I do!"_

_"Then why don't you want to marry me?"_

_Lily sighed, "It's not that I don't want to. I just can't."_

_Argus was becoming frustrated, "Will you at least tell me why? Give me one good reason."_

_Before Lily would answer him, she insisted they go to a place more secluded. They walked for several minutes until they reached the edge of the forest, where there was not a person in sight. _

_Argus spoke again, "Now that we've come all the way out here, I want to know what's going on. Why won't you marry me? And why have you been acting so strange?"_

_Lily looked very nervous as she said, "My parents… they're spies for the Varden! It's the reason we came to Uru'baen."_

_Argus was shocked at first, but then things started to make sense. They way Lily looked all around her whenever they were in the city. How she never let him walk her home and the fact that not once had he met her parents. _

_"All this time," Argus said, "Why didn't you tell me?"_

_"I couldn't!" Lily insisted, "Nobody was suppose to know who we were. I told myself I wouldn't get attached to anyone, but then you came along."_

_"Do your parents even know about me?" _

_"Yes. My mother wasn't too happy about it at first, but my father actually encouraged me. He said that since you serve Galbatorix perhaps…"_

_Argus interrupted and said angrily, "So you were just using me to get information? You never loved me at all!"_

_"That's not true! I do love you Argus. You have to believe me."_

_Argus shook his head, "I don't know what to believe anymore."_

_Lily walked closer to Argus and tried to touch him, "Argus, please…"_

_Argus jerked back, "I can't talk to you right now. Not when I'm this angry."_

_He turned and quickly walked away, leaving Lily in tears._

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_During the long walk home, Argus had plenty of time to calm down and to think about what had just happened. He couldn't believe that Lily had kept something like that from him. Did Lily think Argus might turn her and her family in? He would never do something like that. Argus loved Lily more than life itself and it wouldn't have mattered to him._

_Argus sighed. The image of Lily in tears still filled his head. He realized now that he never should've gotten so angry with her. _

_At this point, Argus had reached his home. He went inside and attempted to get some sleep. In the morning, he would go and find Lily and try make things right with her. _

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_Early the next morning, Argus wandered the streets of the city in search of Lily. He searched the market and various other places. But Lily was nowhere to be seen. Argus began to panic. Perhaps Galbatorix had captured Lily and her parents. He quickly picked up the pace and started to search near the river, but he still couldn't find her. Just as he was about to lose hope, Argus spotted three figures in the distance near the edge of the forest. One of those figures he recognized as Lily. Argus quickly ran over. _

_"Lily!" Argus shouted. As he got closer to them, he saw that the two people with Lily were an older man and woman. Argus realized that they were Lily's parents, since Lily looked very much like them. "I need to talk to you. I'm sorry for getting so angry yesterday. I didn't mean-"_

_Lily's father interrupted, "Lily, we must go!"_

_Argus didn't know what was going on, "Go? Go where?"_

_Lily looked both sad and scared as she spoke, "Galbatorix has discovered us. We must return to the Varden immediately."_

_Argus couldn't believe it, "How did he find out?"_

_Lily shrugged, "I don't know."_

_"I'll come with you." Argus said as he stepped closer._

_"No, you can't." Lily replied, shaking her head. _

_"Why not? I told you I was sorry."_

_"I know, but…"_

_"Lily, don't you get it? I don't care who you and your parents are. I love you Lily and I still want to marry you."_

_Lily started to cry, "I want nothing more than to be your wife. These last six months have been the happiest time of my life. But the more you become involved with me, the more danger you're in. I can't allow you to risk your life anymore."_

_Argus told Lily that he would gladly risk his life for her, "Please, let me come with you."_

_"No Argus!" Lily cried, becoming more upset with each passing second, "If you really love me, you'll let me go."_

_Argus was not the type that would cry easily, but he could feel the tears forming in his eyes as he nodded. If this is what Lily really wanted him to do, then he'd do it. He leaned in and rested his forehead against Lily's. _

_"I love you." Argus said quietly, barely above a whisper._

_"I love you too." Lily replied. _

_Just as they were about to kiss, they could hear a noise in the distance. Argus turned around and could see a group of soldiers less than half a mile away, coming in their direction._

_Lily's mother stepped forward, "Lily, if we don't leave now they'll catch up to us."_

_Lily nodded and quickly turned her attention back to Argus. She kissed him gently, and then said, "Goodbye Argus."_

_Lily quickly got on her horse, glanced back at Argus once, and then rode off. _

_As Argus watched Lily leave, he felt as if his heart was being torn from his chest. He knew he had just lost the best thing that had ever happened to him. _

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_Argus never saw Lily again after that. He thought about her everyday and missed her terribly. In order to try and distract himself from the pain of losing Lily, Argus spent the next year and a half totally devoted to his training in the army. He quickly rose above the ranks and many people were amazed at his abilities. _

_Then one day, a man Argus recognized as one of Galbatorix's guards, approached him. _

_"Are you Argus?" the guard asked._

_"I am," Argus replied._

_"The king wishes to see you immediately."_

_Argus didn't know what was going on, but he nodded and made his way to the castle and stepped inside. _

_Argus was escorted to Galbatorix's chambers by several guards. He tried to think of a reason why the king had asked to see him. Argus was scared that perhaps he had finally found out about his involvement with Lily. He took a deep breath and entered. _

_Argus slowly approached Galbatorix, who was standing not far from his throne. _

_"You must be Argus." Galbatorix said. _

_Argus nodded slowly, "Yes my lord. You wished to see me?"_

_Galbatorix continued, "I hear your training is going well. Infact, people say you're the most skilled soldier they've ever seen."_

_"That's very kind of them." Argus said. _

_"So I have no doubt you're qualified for the job I'm about to offer you."_

_Argus was confused, "You wish to make me one of your guards sir?"_

_"I do wish to hire you as a guard." Galbatorix admitted, "But not for myself." He turned to one of his guards and said, "Bring in the child."_

_"The child?" Argus asked himself. _

_The guard walked through one of the side doors and returned a minute later with a small girl. _

_Galbatorix looked at Argus, "May I present my daughter, Princess Alianna."_

_"Your daughter?" Argus asked, surprised. A baby being born to the king should have been a big announcement. But until this moment, Argus had no idea this child, Alianna, existed. He had never heard of Galbatorix being involved with any women for that matter. Something about this whole thing didn't seem right to Argus, but he decided not to dwell on it. _

_"Yes, my daughter." Galbatorix said, "She's two years old."_

_Argus looked down at Alianna. She certainly was a beautiful child with her long red hair and big brown eyes. But she looked very frightened and Argus could see a few tears trickling down her face. Having Galbatorix as a father, Argus couldn't imagine what this poor girl had been through in the first two years of her life. _

_Suddenly, Argus realized the reason why Galbatorix had summoned him. He wanted Argus to be Alianna's guard. _

_When Argus asked him, Galbatorix confirmed this, "She will have other guards of course, but you will be her head guard. It will be your job to protect the princess from any danger and to keep her out of trouble."_

_Argus couldn't imagine how this sweet looking girl could ever get into trouble._

_"Will you accept the position?" Galbatorix asked him. _

_Argus once again looked down at Alianna. Her innocent eyes were focused on him. It was almost as if she were pleasing with Argus to help her. Argus knew what he had to do. _

_"Yes my lord. I promise to protect her. I will not let you down."_

_"Good," Galbatorix replied, "Your duties begin now. I have other things to attend to." He left the room quickly, never saying a word to Alianna or acknowledging her at all. _

_"What kind of a father leaves his daughter with someone she doesn't know?" Argus said to himself. _

_Argus began to approach Alianna, keeping some distance between them so as not to frighten her, "Hello my lady. It's an honor to meet you."_

_Alianna didn't say a word and just ran into the corner of the room, curled up in a ball, and began to cry. _

_Argus noticed that the necklace Alianna had been wearing had fallen off. He picked it up and examined it. It was a silver locket that looked too big for a child Alianna's age. Alianna's sobs became heavier at this point. _

_"It's alright," Argus said gently, "My name is Argus. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."_

_Alianna looked up at him. _

_Argus continued, "I know you're scared. I would be too." He held up the necklace, "You dropped this."_

_Alianna ever so slowly moved towards Argus and reached her tiny hands out for her necklace._

_"May I?" Argus asked. _

_Alianna nodded yes. _

_Argus put the necklace back on Alianna and then said, "I'm sure you've been through a lot. But I promise, I'll never let anything bad happen to you. I want to be your friend if you'll let me."_

_Somehow through all the tears, Alianna managed to give Argus a smile._

_From that moment on, Argus dedicated his life to Alianna and protecting her. Infact, until Emma was hired a year later, Argus was the main person who raised Alianna. She did have maids and other servants who could do things for her, but Argus became attached to Alianna and enjoyed taking care of her. When Lily had left, Argus had felt completely empty. But now that Alianna had come into his life, Argus felt that his life had meaning again. _


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: Hopefully this long chapter makes up for the time it took me to finish it. I do have a good part of the next chapter already finished, so it shouldn't take me as long to have it up. Enjoy! Reviews would be nice. I'd really like to hear what you guys think of this story so far and if you have any ideas for it :) **

Alianna stared at the dragon for a moment, and then asked Murtagh. "Are you alright?"

Murtagh nodded. "I knew this would happen."

Alianna could tell by the tone of his voice that Murtagh was not too happy about being a Rider. She could understand why. Being a Rider would be such a huge responsibility. It also meant that Murtagh would be even more tied to Galbatorix than he already was.

Although she was nervous herself, Alianna tried to convince Murtagh that everything would be alright.

"You'll make a fine Rider, Murtagh. I'm sure of it. Think of all the wonderful things you'll be able to do. You can help people."

"I won't be helping anyone, except Galbatorix. You know I have to serve him."

"You don't have to."

"Yes I do. We've been over this a thousand times. It's the only way I can keep you safe."

Alianna told Murtagh to be careful. Now that he would be one of Galbatorix's Riders, Galbatorix would more than likely have Murtagh swear loyalty to him in the ancient language. If that happened, there was little Murtagh could do to get out of it.

The thought of this made Alianna very upset. Murtagh could see this, so he held Alianna close and tried to calm her down. He told her not to worry.

"How can I not worry?" she asked.

Suddenly, the small red dragon started squeaking again. Alianna turned towards it. Seeing this beautiful creature, she couldn't help but smile.

Alianna looked at the dragon and then at Murtagh. "May I?"

"Go ahead," Murtagh told her.

Alianna slowly approached the dragon, bent down to its level, and reached her hand out towards him. He hesitated at first, but then he allowed Alianna to pet him.

_"He's certainly a friendly dragon." _Alianna thought.

The only other dragon she had ever come across, that she could remember, was her father's dragon, Shruiken. But Alianna tried to avoid Shruiken as much as she could, since Galbatorix had turned him into such an evil thing.

Alianna was able to pet the dragon for quite awhile.

Murtagh smiled. "He likes you."

"Does he have a name?" Alianna asked.

Murtagh shook his head no. "Not yet."

Alianna stood up. "He's a magnificent dragon Murtagh. Perhaps some good will come out of this."

"I hope you're right." Murtagh sighed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Now that Murtagh was a Rider, his training had intensified. Alianna and Murtagh spent even less time together than they had before. Everyday as soon as they got up, Murtagh would go off and begin his training with Galbatorix, while Thorn, that was the name he had given his dragon, would train with Shruiken. Then later in the day Murtagh and Thorn would train together. As for Alianna, she spent most of her time with Argus walking around the castle, reading, or just talking. While she enjoyed Argus' company very much, Alianna couldn't help but feel lonely. She wished things could go back to the way they were, when she and Murtagh would spend every waking moment together. But she knew that wasn't possible.

Alianna turned to Murtagh one night while they were in bed and said. "Murtagh, I need to talk to you."

Murtagh, who was exhausted, said angrily. "What is it Alianna? I'm tired."

"Nevermind. I can see I'm bothering you."

Murtagh felt bad now, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. What were you trying to tell me?"

Alianna told Murtagh how lonely she felt and that she didn't like how they hardly spent time together anymore.

"I don't like it either." Murtagh said. "But what am I suppose to do?"

"Perhaps you could finish your training earlier…"

"You know I can't. I'll tell you what though, tomorrow night when I get back, we'll go down to the river like we use to. Just the two of us."

Alianna sat up. "Do you mean it?"

"I promise," Murtagh assured her.

Alianna smiled and then kissed him. This continued for a minute or two, until things really started to heat up. That's when Murtagh pulled away.

"Alianna, not tonight."

"But…"

"I said, not tonight!"

Alianna sighed; the two of them hadn't been very intimate lately.

_"Hopefully tomorrow night will be different." _Alianna thought as she rolled over on her side and began to fall asleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, as Alianna sat down to breakfast, she couldn't help but notice the strange look on Argus' face.

"Is everything alright Argus?" she asked.

"Of course," Argus told her. "Why do you ask?"

"You look like something's bothering you."

Argus smiled. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

Alianna was curious, but decided not to pry. She knew Argus would tell her eventually. Instead, she began to eat. For some reason, Alianna began to feel sick after just a few bites. She tried to hide this from Argus, but there was no fooling him.

"Alianna, why aren't you eating? I thought that was your favorite breakfast."

"Is is," Alianna said. "My stomach is just bothering me a bit. It's nothing."

"Are you sure? You look pale."

"Yes, I'm sure. You don't need to worry about me Argus."

Argus smiled. "I'll never stop worrying about you. You know that."

Alianna smiled back at Argus awkwardly and decided to change the subject. "I hope this day goes by quickly."

"Why's that?" Argus asked her.

Alianna told him about her and Murtagh's plans to meet down by the river that night. She was excited that the two of them were finally going to spend some time together.

Argus, however, didn't look so excited. "Alianna, please don't take this the wrong way, but what if Murtagh doesn't show up?"

"Of course he will!" Alianna exclaimed. "Why would you say that?"

"Murtagh's been so busy with his training that you never know what time he'll get back. All I'm saying is, don't get your hopes up."

Alianna shook her head. "He'll be there Argus. He promised me."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The rest of the day seemed to go by very slowly. Alianna tried to keep busy by reading in the library, but she became tired of that after a few hours. She had wanted to go down to the training field and spar with Argus, but Argus didn't like that idea given what happened the last time they sparred. Instead they went for another walk around the castle.

Eventually, the sun set and Alianna began to prepare for the evening. She put on her new blue dress that was neither too formal nor too casual. It was bright blue with a v neck. The sleeves puffed out at the shoulders and the bottom of the sleeves were white with lace trim. Next, Alianna decided to style her hair. At first she pulled it back in a bun, but after looking in a mirror, she didn't like how it looked. Alianna tried several different styles before finally deciding to set her hair in waves. As the finishing touches, she put on her silver locket and her sapphire bracelet.

Once Alianna was finished. Argus knocked on her door.

"Come in," Alianna said.

Argus walked into the room, but once he saw Alianna, he froze. He stared at her for the longest time.

"Is something wrong?" Alianna asked.

Argus shook his head no. "Nothing's wrong."

Alianna looked down at her dress and then back at Argus. "Perhaps I'm too dressed up."

"No, you're not." Argus assured her. "You look… beautiful."

There was a very long and awkward silence before Argus spoke again, "We should get going."

Alianna nodded and she and Argus left the castle and walked down to the river.

The weather couldn't have been better that night. It was warm, but not oppressive, with a slight breeze. Alianna sat down by the bank and waited for Murtagh to arrive. Argus insisted on staying with Alianna until then, even though she assured him that she would be fine.

The minutes went by and there was no sign of Murtagh. Alianna began to worry some, but she figured that Murtagh's training was running a little later than expected.

When more than an hour had passed however, Argus spoke up. "Alianna, I don't think he's coming. It's getting late. We really should head back."

"Just a few more minutes." Alianna said. "He'll be here Argus. He promised me. Please?"

"Alright," Argus sighed. He then mumbled to himself. "Why do I have such a hard time saying no to you?"

Alianna looked all around, hoping she would catch a glimpse of Murtagh. Once she even heard footsteps, but when Alianna turned her head, she saw that it was just one of the maids and her family walking by. More than a few minutes passed by and Alianna could feel the tears forming in her eyes.

She turned to Argus. "He's not coming, is he?"

Argus didn't say a word. He just shook his head no.

At that point, Alianna couldn't hold it in any longer. She hugged her knees to her chest and began to sob.

Argus slowly walked over and sat down next to Alianna. He could see that she was shaking and becoming very pale. He knew he had to do something to calm Alianna down before she made herself sick. Argus hesitated at first, but then touched Alianna on the arm.

"I'm sorry," he said gently.

Instead of jerking back, Alianna threw her arms around Argus and hugged him close. She didn't care if anyone saw her. She was so upset and Argus was there for her, as he always had been. She buried her face in his chest and kept on crying. It didn't take long for Alianna to soak Argus' shirt with her tears. He didn't seem to mind though.

"He promised me," Alianna cried. "He promised me…"

"I know," Argus replied as he gently rubbed his hand up and down Alianna's back.

Alianna cried for what seemed like hours. She didn't think she would ever stop. But eventually she did and Argus helped her up since she was feeling a little lightheaded.

"Alianna, you're not well." Argus said. "We should head back."

Alianna nodded, linked her arm with Argus', and the two of them began to walk back to the castle.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Alianna got back to her chambers, all she wanted to do was lay down on her bed and forget about this whole day.

"I'll have dinner brought up." Argus said.

Alianna shook her head no. "I'm not hungry. Thank you though."

"Alianna, please. You've barely eaten all day. Just-"

"I said I'm not hungry."

Alianna could tell by the look on Argus' face that he was angry. It didn't appear that he was angry with her though. It took Alianna only a second to realize that Argus was angry with Murtagh for what he did. But when she tried to talk to Argus about it, he told her not to worry and insisted that she get some rest. Alianna just shrugged and layed back down on her bed.

A few minutes later, Alianna could hear footsteps coming down the hall. Before she could get up to see who it was, Argus said, "I'll be right back." and stormed out of the room.

Suddenly, Alianna could hear Argus shouting at someone. She quickly got out of bed and went over to peak out the door, which Argus had accidentally left open ajar. She could see now who Argus was shouting at. There in the hall stood Murtagh. Alianna had never seen Argus so angry with someone as he was right now. She listened in more closely to their conversation-

"I thought you were going to meet Alianna by the river!" Argus said. "We waited for over an hour. How could you do this to her?"

"It wasn't my fault." Murtagh explained. "Galbatorix-"

"I don't want to hear your excuse! Do you have any idea how upset Alianna is right now?"

"I know she is."

"No, you don't." Argus said. "Alianna's in there crying and she's so upset that she's made herself sick."

The look on Murtagh's face turned from angry to concerned. "She's sick?"

Argus nodded. "Yes, she has been for awhile now actually. If you were any kind of husband you'd know that and would be there for her. Instead, I'm the one looking out for her and worried that something might be wrong."

Murtagh became angry again. "How dare you! You think I like the fact that you spend more time with my wife than I do? I love Alianna."

"You're not exactly showing it. What kind of a man treats his wife like this? Making promises and then breaking them?"

"This is none of your business Argus!"

"It concerns Alianna, therefore, it is my business!"

Murtagh continued. "Look, I know things are rough now, but in time I'm sure Alianna will get use to it."

Argus was in complete disbelief. He stared at Murtagh for a minute before saying. "You don't deserve her!"

"What?"

"You have no idea how lucky you are to have someone as wonderful as Alianna."

Murtagh looked at Argus oddly. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing," Argus said quickly. "I just-"

Then it hit Murtagh. "You love her, don't you?"

Argus didn't say a word for the longest time.

Murtagh took this as a yes and shouted. "So it's true! I knew something was going on. I knew it! I see the way you look at Alianna. From what I can tell, you rarely interact with anyone other than her."

"I do care about Alianna a great deal." Argus admitted. "But-"

"Oh I know you do." Murtagh said. "I hear the servants whispering everyday about just how much you care about my wife!"

"It's not what you think. I've been Alianna's guard since she was two years old. Until she was three, I was the one who raised her. I've watched her grow up into the fine woman that she is today. I've always been there for her. I have no family- Alianna's all I've got. I'm afraid if you keep treating her this way, she's going to end up the way she was when you left."

"I know that was a hard time for her."

"You have no idea how hard it was!" Argus exclaimed. "You weren't here. You didn't watch as Alianna cried for hours on end and refused to eat. You didn't spend many sleepless nights at her bedside, scared to death that if you closed your eyes for just a moment, she might try and kill herself! I don't want to see that happen again. I won't let it happen!"

Murtagh took a few steps closer to Argus, his fists tightly clenched. "I'll talk to her. Believe me, I'll take care of this."

"You haven't been doing a very good job so far." Argus told him.

"She's not your wife!"

"You're right, she's not." Argus admitted. "But you can bet if she was, I wouldn't treat her the way you are. You know, sometimes I think it would've been better if you had never come back at all!"

That was the last straw for Murtagh. Alianna watched in horror as Murtagh's fist slammed into Argus' face, causing blood to come pouring out of his nose. Before Argus could take a swing at Murtagh, Alianna came storming out into the hall.

"Stop it both of you!" she screamed. "You're acting like children!"

Alianna summoned one of her servants and asked her to see to it that Argus was taken to a healer. She then turned to Murtagh. "I need to speak with you, now!"

The two of them walked into their chambers.

"Alianna, how much of that did you hear?" Murtagh asked.

"All of it." Alianna told him. "Have you lost your mind? You probably broke Argus' nose!"

"I'm glad. He deserved it!"

Alianna was shocked. "How can you say that? Argus has been a very good friend to both of us."

"He wants you! Can't you see that?"

Alianna sighed. "I thought I already explained all of this to you. Argus is just a friend, nothing more. And while I'm just as mad at him as I am you, he was right about one thing."

"What's that?"

"The way you've been treating me lately."

"If this is about tonight, I'm sorry. We can go down to the river right now if that's what you want."

"This has nothing to do with the stupid river!" Alianna shouted. You're missing the whole point."

"What point?"

Alianna looked as if she were about to cry. "We never spend time together anymore, except right before we go to sleep. We haven't been intimate in weeks. I'm lonely, Murtagh. While I'm grateful I have Argus to keep me company, he's not my husband."

"What do you want me to say?" Murtagh asked. "You knew this would happen. I'm doing the best I can. Do you think I like being away so much?"

"I don't know what to think anymore." Alianna said. "You could make more of an effort."

"You're unbelievable! Don't you think if I could I would? How can you get?"

"Don't you dare call me stupid!" Alianna shouted. "My god Murtagh, what's happened to you? You never use to speak to me that way. And the way you were with Argus… so angry. You've changed. It's almost as if…" She hesitated to say the next part. "As if you're becoming just like Morzan!"

Murtagh snapped. The one thing he hated more than anything else in the world was being compared to his father. "How dare you say that! I'm nothing like him! Do you hear me? Nothing!" He charged forward at Alianna.

Alianna quickly took a few steps back. The look in Murtagh's eyes frightened her. She had never in her life seen him look at her this way. It looked like he wanted to kill her. She began to cry.

"Get away from me!" she screamed.

Suddenly, the look on Murtagh's face turned from angry to worried and upset. "Alianna, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so angry. You know I would never hurt you."

But Alianna didn't want to hear it. "Get out of here!"

"Alianna, please…"

"I said get out!"

Murtagh hesitated for a moment, but then left.

As the door slammed shut, Alianna layed down on her bed and began to sob.

_"How could things possibly get any worse?" _she thought as she cried herself to sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

The next morning, rumors were flying all over the castle about what might've happened the night before. Some of the maids were saying that Alianna and Murtagh had had a huge fight and Argus tried to break it up. Even more were saying that Murtagh had caught Alianna and Argus in bed together.

As Alianna woke up, she could hear all the whispers in the hall. She tried to ignore them as best she could as she got up and got dressed. Murtagh hadn't returned to their chambers during the night. Alianna knew that she would eventually have to talk to him again, but he had already begun his training for the day, so it would have to wait.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Alianna opened it and saw that it was Mary, one of her servants.

"Good morning my lady." Mary said. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"You didn't." Alianna replied. "I've been up for a few minutes."

Mary held out a small tray. "I brought you some breakfast." She set the tray down on a small table in the corner of the room.

"Thank you." Alianna said. She saw that Mary was about to make her bed, but she stopped her. "Mary, it's alright. I can do that myself." She began pulling up the sheets.

"You shouldn't be doing such things." Mary told her. "You're a princess."

"Yes, but like I told you, there are things I can do for myself. Besides, you work hard enough as it is. I appreciate everything you do for me."

Mary smiled slightly. "Thank you."

Alianna could tell that Mary wanted to ask her something. "What is it? You know you can speak freely with me."

Mary nodded and then asked. "Are you alright my lady?"

"I'm fine." Alianna assured her. "I take it the other servants have been gossiping about me. News sure seems to travel quickly around here."

Mary looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry. I've asked them to stop, but they won't. It's not right what they're doing. What goes on between you, Murtagh, and Argus is your business."

"I wish more people felt that way." Alianna sighed.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Mary asked.

At first Alianna said no, but then she asked Mary if she would find out where Argus was and how he was doing.

"Of course." Mary said. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Mary returned awhile later and told Alianna that Argus was in his chambers resting.

"Is he alright?" Alianna asked.

"I don't know my lady." Mary replied. "All I could find out was where he was."

"It's alright." Alianna said. "Thank you Mary. You're dismissed."

Once Mary left, Alianna sat down and ate some of her breakfast. She then decided she would go and visit Argus to see how he was doing.

Alianna knew where Argus' chambers were, although she had never actually been there before. As she walked down the hall, she had to endure all the stares and whispers from everyone. She glared at a few people until they stopped, but for the most part she ignored them. When she approached Argus' chambers, Alianna made sure no one else was around before she knocked on the door.

"Just a moment." Argus said.

A minute later Argus opened the door slowly. Alianna took a step back when she first saw Argus' face. All around his nose and under his eyes were large purple bruises. His nose was also swollen. There was no doubt that it was broken.

Argus had a surprised look on his face as he spoke. "Alianna, what are you doing? You shouldn't be here."

"I had to see if you were okay." Alianna said.

"I'm fine." Argus replied. "Are you alright?"

Alianna nodded yes and then asked. "May I come in?"

"That's not a good idea. People are already talking about us."

"It can't get any worse." Alianna told him. "Please?"

"No Alianna!" Argus insisted. "It's not proper for you to come into my chambers."

"But I need to talk to you."

"I mean it. I can't risk-"

Alianna interrupted him. "Argus, please!"

Argus sighed. He knew he should stand firm and tell her no. But there Alianna stood, pleading with him with her eyes. Those big brown eyes that he swore would be the death of him one day.

Argus finally, against his better judgment, gave in. He poked his head out the door, looked both ways down the hall and then said. "Alright, come in." He looked around one more time to be sure before he slowly closed the door.

Compared to Alianna's chambers, Argus' were quite small. There wasn't much in there other than a bed, a table and chairs, and a few books. Alianna stood there awkwardly, not knowing whether to sit or to keep standing.

Finally, Argus said. "Please, sit down."

Alianna sat down in one chair at the table, while Argus sat down in the other.

"I'm a little surprised to see you." Argus said. "I thought you'd still be upset."

"I am," Alianna replied. But she had calmed down a little since last night. "Argus, how could you-"

"Wait. Before you say anything else, I need to apologize. I was angry at Murtagh for what he did to you and when I saw him, I just snapped. UI shouldn't have done that."

"You're right," Alianna agreed. "I could've handled Murtagh on my own."

"I know." Argus sighed. "I just couldn't stand seeing you so upset. I had to do something."

"Argus, I'm not a little girl anymore. I can take care of myself. I know what Murtagh did was wrong, but you can't always protect me."

"It's my job to protect you!" Argus said, sounding a little angry. "I've been doing it for the last fifteen years. Do you really expect me to stop now?"

"Argus, please. I don't want to fight with you. I've had enough of that lately."

Argus nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Alianna said. There was a brief silence before she spoke again. "Can I ask you a question?"

Argus smiled at her. "Of course."

"When Murtagh asked you if you loved me, you took a long time to answer him. Why is that?"

Argus shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I think you've been here long enough. You should go."

Alianna folded her arms across her chest. "I'm not going anywhere until you answer me."

Argus looked away from her. "Alianna, please don't make me answer that question. You may not want to hear it."

"I do." Alianna assured him. "Argus, I promise I won't get upset."

Argus was hesitant, but then took a deep breath and said. "Alright, I'll say it. I do love you Alianna. I lied to Murtagh when I said I didn't love you the way he thought."

"Argus, I…" Alianna didn't really know what to say.

"Please, let me explain." Argus insisted. "You know that my parents died when I was young, not that much younger than you are now."

Alianna nodded. Argus had told her a few years ago about what had happened. It made her sad to think about it. She felt sorry for Argus.

Argus continued. "What you don't know is that a few years after my parents died, I lost someone else who meant the world to me. I was devastated. I felt so lost after that. I decided to put everything into my training in the army in order to distract myself from everything. It worked to an extent and I even rose above the ranks rather quickly.

Around that time, Galbatorix hired me to be your guard. I'll never forget the first time I saw you. You were so frightened and when you looked at me, it's almost as if you were pleading with me to help you. How could I say no? Since that day I've devoted my life to protecting you.

Over the years, as you know, we've become very close. I never thought I'd be close to anyone again. But it wasn't until about a year before you married Murtagh that I realized that I love you more than just as a friend."

Alianna tried to take everything Argus had just told her in. So Murtagh had been right all along. Alianna shifted in her chair again. She realized now that coming to Argus' chambers wasn't such a good idea. She should've listened when Argus had told her no.

"I'm making you uncomfortable aren't I?" Argus asked after seeing the look on Alianna's face. "I'm sorry. I promise, I won't act on this. You're married. And even if you weren't, princesses aren't suppose to end up with their guards."

Alianna could tell just by looking into Argus' eyes that his heart was breaking as he said this. "Argus, I do love you. You know that." She did. Argus had always been there for her, even when she didn't deserve it. Perhaps a part of her did love Argus in the same way that he loved her.

"But not as much as you love Murtagh. He's the one you can't live without."

Alianna sighed. "Murtagh and I aren't exactly speaking at the moment."

"I know that." Argus said. "It was a terrible thing what Murtagh did. But I know that deep down, despite how he's acting, he really loves you."

"He's been so angry though."

"I'm sure I haven't helped the situation. Perhaps if I wasn't around…"

Alianna looked at him strangely. "What are you saying?"

"I think I should step down as your guard. Things are going to be awkward now that you know how I really feel. And it's only a matter of time before Murtagh and your father find out."

Alianna couldn't believe it. "Argus no! You can't leave. You're my friend. I need you. Besides, if you leave, who's going to keep me out of trouble?"

Argus forced a smile as she said this.

Alianna smiled back. "You're not leaving Argus. I won't let you."

"Alright, I won't." Argus said. "I should've known you'd be this stubborn."

"Friends?"

"Friends."

Alianna looked at Argus' nose again. She wasn't sure if she could heal broken bones with magic, and she was about to experiment on Argus. Alianna knew she could heal bruises and offered to heal Argus', but he refused.

"You've been sick." he said. "I don't want you using up your energy on something like that."

"Are you sure?"

Argus nodded.

Alianna stood up. "Alright. I think I'm going to go to the stables and visit Bella." It had been awhile since Alianna had seen her horse.

"I'll come with you." Argus said.

Alianna shook her head no. "Argus, you have a broken nose. You should rest."

"Yes, but you shouldn't be going alone."

"I'll ask one of the other guards to go with me."

"Are you sure?" You're not just saying all of this because of what I told you?"

Alianna assured him that that wasn't the case.

"Alright." Argus said. "Whoever the guard is, try not to give him a hard time."

Alianna smiled at him and then left the room, checking first to make sure no one was around.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Alianna returned from the stables later that day, she was surprised that Murtagh was there. Galbatorix apparently had to meet with some of his magicians, so Murtagh's training had ended early. Alianna talked to Murtagh, but things between them were still very tense. While he tried to apologize for what he did to her, he wouldn't apologize for breaking Argus' nose. After that, Alianna and Murtagh barely talked to each other for several days. Murtagh had returned to their chambers, but he slept on the floor. While Alianna didn't want to be anywhere near him, she knew people would get suspicious if they slept in separate chambers.

Argus returned two days after he had told Alianna that he loved her. Things were a little awkward between the two of them for awhile, but eventually things went back to the way they use to be. Argus and Murtagh were another story. They remained civil to each other when Alianna was around, but when they thought she couldn't see them, they would give each other angry looks. One time Alianna even overheard them arguing again.

Alianna's life certainly was very stressful at the moment. She didn't think she could handle much more.

Then one night Alianna woke up feeling terribly nauseous. She hadn't been feeling well for weeks, but tonight was the worst. She barely made it into her bath chambers in time before she keeled over on the floor and began to vomit. This lasted only for a minute or two, but to Alianna, it felt like and eternity. Afterward, she slowly stood up and looked into a mirror.

Alianna was taken back when she saw her reflection. Her face was extremely pale.

_"What's wrong with me?" _she thought as she splashed some cold water on her face.

Alianna cleaned up the vomit on the floor as best she could and then slowly made her way back to bed. Murtagh, who had been fast asleep on the floor, woke up as soon as Alianna walked by him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I don't feel good." Alianna answered.

Murtagh turned over and looked at her. His eyes widened. "You look horrible!"

Alianna rolled her eyes. "Thanks Murtagh."

"That's not what I meant. How long have you been sick?"

"Awhile." Before Alianna could say another word, she clamped her hand over her mouth and ran over to a nearby pot and vomited. Murtagh was immediately at Alianna's side, holding her hair back and out of her face.

Panic filled Murtagh's voice. "Alianna? What's wrong? Please be okay. You have to be. I can't…"

But Alianna wasn't able to answer him at first. The vomiting continued for awhile and she found herself gasping for breath when it finally did stop.

Murtagh helped her up. "I'm so sorry."

"Why?" Alianna asked. "It's not your fault that I'm sick."

"It is. If I hadn't been away so much lately, you wouldn't have gotten so upset to the pint that you've made yourself sick. I should've tried harder to meet up with you that night. Then none of this would've happened."

"What are you talking about?"

Murtagh then began to tell Alianna what had happened that night. Just when Murtagh thought his training was over for the day, Galbatorix wanted to keep going. Murtagh told Galbatorix of the promise he made to Alianna, but he demanded Murtagh stay. When he refused, Galbatorix told him that he would hurt Alianna if he didn't do as he said. Murtagh didn't have much of a choice then.

After hearing all of this, Alianna asked. Why didn't you tell me when you got back?"

"I tried to." Murtagh said. "But you wouldn't let me. You were too upset to listen and I don't blame you. I'm sorry about that night. I'm sorry for everything that's been going on lately. I never meant to hurt you. I love you Alianna. You know that right?"

If it were still that horrible night, Alianna wouldn't have been so sure. She remembered how angry Murtagh had been and the way he had charged at her with an almost evil look in his eyes. But now, he wasn't angry at all. His voice sounded gentle as he spoke. Alianna knew he was back to being the same Murtagh she had fallen in love with.

"I know." she told him. "I love you too."

Murtagh helped Alianna over to their bed since she was feeling a little faint. He gave her a cup of water and she drank it in small sips.

"Thank you." Alianna said as she finished the water and set the cup down on a table.

"Your welcome." Murtagh replied. "I should go get one of the healers to look at you."

Alianna grabbed Murtagh's arm to stop him. "I don't need a healer. I'm sure I'll feel better in the morning. Please, we should just go back to sleep."

"We?" Murtagh asked.

Alianna looked at him. "Do you really want to keep sleeping on the floor?"

"No." he told her.

Alianna motioned for Murtagh to join her on their bed, which he did.

"Are you sure you don't need a healer?"

"I'm sure." Alianna said. She layed down on the bed with Murtagh and snuggled into his arms. The two of them fell asleep soon after.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Alianna woke up in the morning, Murtagh was already gone. However, Argus was sitting in the corner of the room.

Alianna sat up, "Argus? What's going on?" Lately, Argus waited in the hall until Alianna came out to him.

"Murtagh asked me to keep a close eye on you today." Argus explained. "He says you're not feeling well again."

"Did he really? I thought the two of you weren't speaking to each other."

"Normally we're not. But he's worried about you. So am I. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes," Alianna lied. The truth was she still felt sick.

Alianna couldn't tell whether or not Argus believed her. He just nodded and had one of the servants bring up her breakfast.

As she sat down to eat, Alianna asked, "When did Murtagh leave?"

"A few hours ago."

Alianna was surprised, "A few hours ago? How long was I asleep?"

"Awhile," Argus answered, "Murtagh didn't want to wake you. He said you looked exhausted."

Alianna felt exhausted. It had certainly been a rough night. She then looked down at her breakfast and started to eat. After only a few bites, that familiar nauseous feeling came over her. Alianna stood up.

Argus looked very concerned, "Alianna, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Alianna said, "Excuse me." She quickly made her way into her bath chambers and began vomiting. This episode was worse than the night before. It lasted off and on for several minutes and was so severe that Alianna found herself shaking afterward. It was at that moment that Alianna knew that something was seriously wrong. She had no choice now but to go and see a healer.

There were several healers in the castle, but Alianna couldn't go to any of them. If she did, she knew there would be gossip and the news would quickly get to Murtagh. Alianna didn't want him to worry- he already had enough to deal with. She had no choice but to sneak into the city and try and find a healer that wouldn't recognize her. But first, she would have to get past Argus. Alianna knew that Argus would never take her into the city if she asked.

Alianna cleaned herself up and then stepped back into her bed chambers.

Argus came over to her, but before she could say anything, Alianna spoke. "I'm alright. Really, I am. Could you give me a minute alone please? I'd like to get dressed now."

Argus nodded. "Of course."

As soon as Argus left the room, Alianna quickly changed into the most casual dress she had. After that she put on her dark cloak and grabbed a small bag with some gold coins in them. Then she opened a window and climbed down a long rope she had securely attached to her bedpost. Luckily, Alianna's chambers weren't too far up in the castle and she made it to the ground quickly. Once there, Alianna put the hood of her cloak over her head and began walking towards the city.

The streets of Uru'baen were crowded, as it usually was during this time of day. Alianna tried to make her way through the crowd, glancing all over hoping to find some sort of healer. She looked all over for about half an hour and was about to give up. Suddenly, she spotted a woman, who appeared to be around forty or so, outside a large tent. The woman was giving a mother, carrying her young son, some kind of herbs.

"Give your son some of this." the woman said. "And he should start feeling better in a few hours."

The mother thanked her profusely and once she had left, Alianna approached her.

"Excuse me. You're a healer, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"I'm not feeling very well. I don't know what's wrong with me. Please m'am, I need your help."

The woman smiled at her. "First of all, my name is Kathryn. Why don't you come inside dear and I'll take a look."

Alianna stepped into the tent and looked around. There was a table set up with all sorts of herbs and other remedies. In the corner were two small beds. Alianna removed her cloak and sat down on one of them.

"You must be new around here." Alianna said. She had never seen Kathryn around Uru'baen until this day.

"Yes," Kathryn told her. "I arrived only a few days ago."

"What brings you to Uru'baen?"

"I'm just passing through. I travel from city to city trying to help as many people as I can."

"That's very kind of you."

"Yes, but enough about me. What's your name?"

"Elizabeth." Alianna said, giving her the first name that popped into her head. Kathryn seemed very nice, but Alianna couldn't risk letting anyone know who she really was.

"Well Elizabeth, what seems to be the problem?"

As Kathryn examined her, Alianna told her how she was too sick to eat much these last few weeks and that she always felt exhausted. She then mentioned how she had been vomiting on and off since last night.

"Hmmm," Kathryn said. "When was the last time you menstruated?"

Alianna hadn't really given it much thought lately. The truth was, it had been awhile. She just assumed that it was because she had been under so much stress.

When Alianna told her all of this, Kathryn nodded and said. "I think I know what's going on."

Alianna felt a little scared. "Is it serious? What's wrong with me?"

"There's nothing wrong with you dear." Kathryn laughed.

"Then what is it?"

Kathryn looked at Alianna and smiled. "You're pregnant."


	25. Chapter 25

_Pregnant. _

Once she got over the initial shock, Alianna found herself happier than she had been in a long time. She had always loved children and dreamed of the day when she would be a mother.

Alianna rubbed her hand gently across her stomach.

"I take it this is good news?" Kathryn asked.

Alianna looked at her and nodded. "Yes. I'll admit it does come as a shock though."

"I understand."

"Is the baby alright?" Alianna asked, concerned. "How far along am I?"

"Everything is fine." Kathryn told her. "And from what I can tell, you're about three months along. You should try to get plenty of rest and avoid any stress."

_"If only that were possible." _Alianna thought. She stood up and put on her cloak. "Thank you for your help." She took out her bag of gold coins and handed them to Kathryn.

Kathryn's eyes widened. "This is too much! I can't possibly…"

"Please, I want you to have it." Alianna insisted. "But if anyone asks, I was never here."

Kathryn nodded and told Alianna that she understood. "Well, I wish you the best of luck Elizabeth. If you need anything, please come back. I'll be in the city for a few more weeks."

Alianna thanked her again before she left.

During the walk back to the castle, Alianna thought about the baby growing inside of her. She wondered if the baby was a boy or a girl, but it didn't matter to her. All Alianna cared about was the baby being healthy. She also wondered how Murtagh was going to react to the news. He already had so much to deal with. While the subject of children had come up a couple of times, it wasn't something they had planned for right away. Alianna worried about how well they would be able to raise a baby. They were both so young. Although Alianna knew of women even younger than her who had had babies and they seemed to be doing just fine.

Before long, Alianna reached the castle. Luckily no one seemed to notice her as she reached the side wall where the rope still hung from her chamber window. But just as Alianna grabbed a hold of the rope, she heard footsteps coming from behind her.

"You really shouldn't be doing that in your condition." a voice said.

This startled Alianna. She jumped back and when she looked up, she saw that it was Argus.

Alianna breathed a sigh of relief. "Argus you scared me!"

"Well you scared me." he said. "You never should've run off like that."

"I had no choice." Alianna told him. She then thought about the first thing Argus had said and looked at him strangely. "Wait, what do you mean by my condition?"

"Alianna, I'm not stupid. Besides, I followed you into the city. I know. You're-"

Alianna quickly interrupted him. "Shhh! Not here."

Alianna and Argus went into the castle and up to Alianna's chambers. As soon as the chamber doors were closed, Argus spoke.

"You're pregnant aren't you?"

Alianna hesitated for a moment, but then nodded her head. "How did you know?"

"I've suspected it for awhile now." Argus admitted. "You haven't been eating and you're always exhausted. Murtagh told me you vomited last night and I heard you doing it this morning too. But you pretty much confirmed it just now when I approached you. Before you knew it was me, you jumped back and put your hand on your stomach as if you were protecting the baby."

"I did?" Alianna asked. She hadn't even realized she had done it.

"Yes." Argus told her.

Alianna slowly sat down on the edge of her bed.

Argus took a few steps closer to her. "What are you doing to do?"

Alianna looked up. "About the baby? I'm keeping it of course. I could never…"

"I know, but I just thought I'd ask. It's going to be okay."

"I hope so." Alianna sighed.

"Would you like me to go find Murtagh?" Argus asked her.

"No."

"Alianna you have to tell him!"

"I know. And I will." Alianna assured him. "I just need a few days to figure out how I'm going to do this."

Argus nodded. "If that's what you think is best."

"I do. Argus, I want you to promise me that you won't tell anyone."

"You know I won't." Argus told her.

Alianna smiled and looked down at her stomach, which was slightly swollen, but not enough for anyone to notice yet. "Do you think I'll be a good mother?"

"I think you'll be a wonderful mother." Argus said. Alianna thought she could detect a hint of sadness in his voice.

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A few days later, Alianna and Murtagh were walking around the courtyard. It was one of those rare days where Galbatorix was too busy to train Murtagh. He was off meeting with some of his magicians and spies. Alianna knew that her father was planning another attack on the Varden, but all she could think about was that she finally had some alone time with her husband.

"Are you feeling any better?" Murtagh asked her. He still didn't know she was pregnant. Alianna had told him about going into the city alone though. While he hadn't been too happy about that, he never asked her why she did it.

Alianna told him that she was feeling better, but really she was still nauseous. Luckily it wasn't as bad as it had been a few days ago.

Murtagh could tell that something wasn't right with Alianna. But before he could ask her about it, the two of them came across a small boy who appeared to be no older than five or six years old. The boy was crying and frantically looking around as if he were lost.

"I know him. That's Eve's son." Alianna said. Eve worked in the kitchen as a cook. The boy's name was Trevan.

Alianna and Murtagh slowly approached him.

"Are you alright?" Alianna asked as she bent down to the boy's level.

"Momma!" Trevan cried. "Where's my Momma?"

"Don't worry." Murtagh said. "We'll help you find her."

Alianna smiled. "Of course we will." She reached her hand out towards him. Trevan hesitated for a moment, but then put his tiny hand in hers.

Alianna and Murtagh led Trevan all around the courtyard, scanning over the large crowd. It took awhile, but finally Alianna spotted Eve, who as soon as she saw her son, ran over to them.

"There you are!" Eve cried as she embraced Trevan. She then looked up and saw Alianna. She quickly got to her feet. "My lady…"

Eve began to bow down, but Alianna stopped her.

"Please, that's not necessary."

"Thank you for finding my son." Eve said. She looked at Murtagh. "Both of you. I was trying to work and watch him at the same time. My husband normally looks after him during the day, but he's been ill lately. I only turned my back for a moment and he must've wandered off. I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize." Alianna said. "We understand."

"I don't know what I would've done if something had happened to him."

"I'm glad he's alright." Alianna said. She looked down at Trevan. "You have a beautiful son."

Eve thanked them again for their help and then left with Trevan soon after. As they were walking away, Trevan looked at Alianna and smiled. Alianna smiled back at him.

Murtagh looked at Alianna. "You're very good with children."

_"I hope so." _Alianna thought.

It was getting late so Alianna and Murtagh began heading back to the castle.

"Murtagh?"

"Yes?" Murtagh answered.

"Do you ever think about us having children?" Alianna asked him.

"I suppose so. It's just-"

"Just what?"

"I'm worried."

Alianna simply nodded her head. She didn't need to ask him why he was worried. She already knew the answer. He was worried about what kind of father he would be, given the fact that Morzan had treated him so cruelly. Alianna assured Murtagh that he was nothing like Morzan and that he would be a good father.

"What brought this up?" Murtagh asked. "Is something going on?"

Alianna looked all around and then took Murtagh aside so that no one could hear them. She figured she had put off telling Murtagh long enough. She took a deep breath. But before she could tell Murtagh that she was pregnant, one of Galbatorix's guards approached them. Alianna couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"The king wishes to see you right away." the guard said.

"Of course he does." Alianna sighed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As they walked closer to Galbatorix's chambers, Alianna began to worry. She wondered if her father had somehow found out she was pregnant or that she had gone to Argus' chambers a few days earlier.

When they got there, Galbatorix looked at Alianna. "What have you done now?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Father."

Galbatorix started to get angry. "Yes you do!"

"I'm afraid I don't." Alianna answered.

"Some of my guards spotted you sneaking off into the city a few days ago. Why they didn't tell me until today I don't know. Is what they say true?"

Alianna hesitated.

Galbatorix became even angrier. "I demand that you tell me!"

Alianna didn't know what to say to him. Normally she would talk back to her father and not give it a second thought. But now she had to be very careful about what she said to him. Otherwise he might get so angry that he'd attack her and she could lose the baby because of it.

Alianna stood there silently, becoming even more afraid with each passing second.

Murtagh, seeing how upset Alianna was getting, stepped in front of her and said. "Leave her alone!"

"How dare you!" Galbatorix replied. "Do you know anything about this?"

Murtagh looked at Alianna for the longest time before looking back at Galbatorix. "No, I don't."

"You're lying." Galbatorix said. "I'll prove it."

Before Alianna could say a word, Galbatorix began entering Murtagh's mind.

Alianna watched in horror as this happened. She could see that Murtagh was in pain and beads of sweat were dripping down his face.

If Alianna hadn't been pregnant, she would've stepped in and tried to stop her father. As much as she wanted to help Murtagh, she had to protect her unborn child. It killed Alianna that all she could do was just stand there and watch.

It wasn't long before Galbatorix found the information he wanted. Afterward, he looked at Alianna and said. "Did you really think you could lie to me and get away with it?"

Alianna replied. "I…"

"How many times must I go through this with you? I'm growing tired of it. You're forbidden from leaving the castle until further notice. I'll know if you try to escape. Have I made myself clear?"

Alianna nodded. "Yes Father."

Both Galbatorix and Murtagh stared at her. They seemed surprised that she agreed to this and didn't try to put up a fight.

Galbatorix then sent for Argus and asked him to escort Alianna to her chambers.

"Yes my lord." Argus said.

Murtagh began to walk away with Alianna and Argus, but Galbatorix demanded that he stay.

"There's something I need to discuss with you." Galbatorix said.

Murtagh turned to Alianna. "I'll see you later." He gave her a quick kiss.

Alianna nodded and kissed Murtagh back. She then happened to glance at her father, who was glaring at her with so much hatred in his eyes that it frightened her. She realized then that there was no way she could raise a baby around him. Alianna also realized that she couldn't tell Murtagh that she was pregnant. Galbatorix could read Murtagh's mind. If Alianna told Murtagh, then surely her father would find out. As much as she hated to do so, Alianna had to keep her pregnancy a secret for the time being.

A few minutes later, Alianna and Argus arrived at Alianna's chambers.

"Are you alright?" Argus asked, sounding very concerned.

"No, I'm not." Alianna tearfully told him.

She looked down at her stomach and placed her hand on it.

_"What am I going to do?"_


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: I had hoped to have this chapter up by Christmas, but ah well. Think of this as your late Christmas/early New Year's present lol. Enjoy! :)**

Alianna walked into her chambers with Argus.

"What happened?" he asked her.

Alianna told him all about what Galbatorix did to Murtagh.

"The worst part was that I wanted to help him, but I couldn't. All I could do was just stand there and watch. I hope he's alright."

"I'm sure he is." Argus said. "So I assume Galbatorix knows you're pregnant?"

Alianna shook her head no.

Argus was confused. "I don't understand. I thought you said he got into Murtagh's mind."

"He did." Alianna told him.

"Then how does he not know? Unless…"

Alianna did have to say anything. Argus knew the answer just by the look on her face.

"You haven't told Murtagh that you're pregnant have you?"

"I couldn't."

Argus couldn't believe it. "Alianna you have to! He has the right to know."

"I know that." Alianna sighed. "But…"

"But what? You won't be able to keep this a secret for long. You're going to start showing soon."

"I don't know what else to do Argus!" Alianna exclaimed. "If I tell Murtagh that I'm pregnant then my father will find out since he can get into Murtagh's mind."

"Alianna, this isn't going to work. Even if you don't tell Murtagh, Galbatorix will find out. All he has to do is get into your mind."

"He can't get into my mind."

"He can't? But how…"

"During all those years my father trained me, one of the things he taught me to do was guard my mind."

It was then that Alianna recalled a moment from one of her first days of this training-

_Alianna and Galbatorix were in one of the many training rooms. She was just ten years old at the time. _

_"This is very important Alianna." Galbatorix explained. "You need to know how to guard your mind. Do you understand me?"_

_Alianna didn't completely, but she shook her head anyway. She was very scared. _

_"Good." said Galbatorix. "Now, I'm going to try to get into your mind and you're going to stop me. Are you ready?"_

_Alianna nodded. "Yes Father."_

_Just seconds later Alianna could feel sharp, stabbing pains going through her head followed by a flood of memories- Emma brushing her hair when she was four, riding her horse Bella with Argus watching nearby when she was eight, Murtagh chasing her around the forest…_

_The shock of the pain made Alianna cry out and keel over on the floor. _

_"You're not trying!" Galbatorix shouted._

_Alianna was trying, but she couldn't seem to stop her father from getting into her mind. The pain and the flood of memories continued for several hours until Alianna couldn't take it anymore._

_"Stop it Father!" she screamed. "It hurts!"_

_"I don't care." Galbatorix told her. _

_"If I could just rest…"_

_"Do you think our enemies would let you rest if they attacked your mind? No. And neither will I. We're going to keep doing this until you get it right."_

_"No Father, please…" Alianna cried. _

_But he didn't listen. Alianna didn't think he would ever stop. About an hour later though, Galbatorix realized that he had to meet with some of his magicians. _

_"We'll continue this tomorrow…" Galbatorix said as he left the room._

_It took awhile, a few years of training infact, but eventually Alianna was able to guard her mind so well that not even Galbatorix could enter it._

"I didn't know about any of this." Argus said.

"Well, now you do. And you also know why my father can't know that I'm pregnant. I've been through hell because of him. I don't want my son or daughter to go through the same thing."

"I still don't think this is a good idea."

"I am going to tell Murtagh eventually, I promise. But I need to keep this a secret until I can find a way to do it without my father knowing. You will help me, won't you Argus?"

"Alianna, you know I'd do anything for you."

"Is that a yes then?" Alianna asked.

Argus smiled. "Yes."

Alianna smiled back. "Thank you."

Alianna decided to sit down and wait for Murtagh to return. She read a book for awhile and talked to Argus. The minutes soon turned to hours and before Alianna knew it, it was dinner time. A servant brought up a tray of food and placed it on the table. Alianna thanked her and then began to eat. After a few bites, she happened to glance up and found Argus staring at her.

She quickly put her fork down. "I'm sorry. How rude of me. Would you like something to eat Argus? I can have someone bring you a tray."

Argus thanked Alianna, but told her that he wasn't hungry.

"Are you sure?" Alianna asked.

"Yes." Argus replied. "Go ahead and finish your meal."

Alianna shrugged and kept on eating. Once she was finished, she was surprised that she didn't feel so nauseous. She wondered how long it would last.

Alianna went to get up from her chair, but as soon as she did, she felt very lightheaded. Argus was immediately at her side.

"Are you alright?"

A few seconds later, Alianna was able to answer him. "I'm fine. I just got up too fast that's all."

Despite this assurance, Argus continued to worry. He insisted Alianna lay down and rest. He was about to help her over to her bed when Murtagh stepped into the room.

Murtagh glared at Argus. "Argus…"

Argus slowly stepped away from Alianna. "Murtagh…" He then told Alianna that he'd see her tomorrow.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As soon as Argus left the room, Alianna noticed the very troubled look on Murtagh's face.

"What is it?" Alianna asked as the two of them sat down on the edge of their bed.

Murtagh sighed. "I don't even know where to begin."

"It has something to do with what my father discussed with you after I left, doesn't it?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

Murtagh looked at Alianna. "You know that Galbatorix is planning another attack on the Varden."

Alianna nodded. She heard her father talking about it several times. She knew he'd been planning something for awhile now.

Murtagh continued. "He's ordered me to lead the army into Surda. The Varden relocated their not long after the battle at Farthen Dur."

"When you leave?" Alianna asked.

"A little more than two months from now." Murtagh told her. "Just a few days after your birthday."

Alianna was stunned. She knew another battle was coming, but she didn't think it would be so soon. And she didn't like the idea of Murtagh leading the army and being put in so much danger.

Murtagh saw the look on Alianna's face. "That's not even the worst of it."

"What do you mean?" Alianna asked.

"Galbatorix wants me to try and capture Eragon and Saphira and bring them here to Uru'baen."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I'd do if I were you, since Eragon is your friend…"

"Eragon isn't my friend." Murtagh said.

Alianna looked at him strangely. "I don't understand."

"He's my brother."

Alianna's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she just heard. Eragon was Murtagh's brother! How was that even possible? Alianna didn't think Selena had any more children after Murtagh.

Murtagh tried to explain everything to her. Apparently, when the Twins had entered Eragon's mind all those months ago, they came across the identity of Eragon's mother. When they returned to Uru'baen and told Galbatorix the information, he made the connection that Eragon's mother and Murtagh's were one in the same.

It took Alianna a moment, but then things started to make sense. While she had never met Selena, Murtagh had told Alianna her story many times. She remembered Murtagh telling her how, when he was about three or so, Selena had left one day and didn't return for several months. When she finally did, she appeared to be very sick and died not long after.

Alianna realized that Selena must have been pregnant with Eragon when she left. She didn't want Morzan to know and have another son's life put in danger. So she fled to Carvahall, gave birth to Eragon, and left him there.

"So Selena must have died because of some sort of complication giving birth." Alianna said.

"Most likely." Murtagh replied. He sounded very sad as he said this. Alianna knew that it was still hard for Murtagh to talk about his mother.

Alianna leaned against Murtagh and gently rubbed his arm. "I'm sorry about all this. What are you going to do? You can't capture Eragon. He's family."

"I know that. But I really don't have a choice." Murtagh said. He looked over at Alianna and saw how worried she was. He tried to force a smile. "Maybe I'll think of something."

"I hope so."

Murtagh tried to change the subject and asked Alianna if she was feeling alright. He didn't want her to get too upset about everything and make herself sick again.

Alianna assured him that she was fine.

Murtagh then remembered something. "What were you trying to tell me earlier?"

Alianna hesitated for a moment and then said. "It doesn't matter now. Everything is fine." She started to yawn. "I'm exhausted though. I'm sure you are too. Lets go to sleep."

Murtagh looked at her strangely for a minute but didn't say a word. The two of them changed into their night clothes and got into bed. Before Murtagh had a chance to say good night to her, Alianna was fast asleep. He smiled at his wife. He watched her for awhile before finally falling asleep himself.


	27. Chapter 27

*TWO MONTHS LATER*

Alianna's pregnancy was going well. She was relieved that her nausea seemed to have stopped. Also, her appetite was much better. Infact, Alianna found herself eating more than she normally would have.

The only problem Alianna had was her growing stomach, which was getting more and more difficult to hide. She had to let out most of her dresses because they didn't fit her anymore. She was grateful that Emma had taught her how to do this years ago. The seamstresses that worked in the castle would get suspicious if Alianna asked them to do it.

The good thing was nobody suspected anything. Atleast, Alianna didn't think they did. Galbatorix was too busy to pay attention, not that he had ever paid much attention to her. Alianna rarely saw him except when she and Murtagh occasionally ate dinner with him in the dining hall.

Out of everyone, Murtagh was the hardest to keep this secret from. Alianna still didn't see him for most of the day, but at night when they were in bed together, she had to hide her stomach by wearing a large robe. And on the rare occasion they were intimate, Alianna would stop Murtagh before things went too far.

Other than that everything seemed to be fine. During the day Alianna kept busy by planning the huge party that was being held in honor of her eighteenth birthday, which was just a few days away.

"I can't believe Galbatorix is holding this party for you." Argus said one day as he was helping Alianna with some last minute preparations.

"He's not doing this because he cares about me." Alianna explained. "He's doing it to make himself look good."

"Regardless," Argus said. "I'm sure you'll have a good time. It's a big day for you."

Alianna replied. "Yes, it-" She suddenly stopped talking, sat down in a chair, and placed her hand on her stomach.

"What is it?" Argus asked frantically as he looked at her.

Ever since Argus had found out that Alianna was pregnant, he'd been even more protective of her than usual.

"It's alright." Alianna told him. Even though there was no one else in the room, Alianna said the words in the ancient language that would prevent anyone from listening to their conversation.

After she did this, she looked up at Argus and smiled. "The baby moved. It just took me by surprise that's all."

Argus tried to smile back, but Alianna couldn't help but notice the odd look he gave her.

Alianna knew, without Argus having to say anything, what he was thinking.

Alianna told him that she still hadn't figured out a way to tell Murtagh the truth. She had hoped to tell him before he went off to battle, but that didn't look like it was going to happen. Alianna felt horrible about it. What if something happened to Murtagh while he was fighting the Varden? He would never know that he was going to be a father. She tried not to dwell too much on that.

Argus, as always, tried his best to comfort Alianna and assured her that everything would be alright.

Alianna hoped he was right. She hoped there would come a day when she would finally be able to tell Murtagh about the baby.

As it turned out, that day came sooner than Alianna thought. That very night as she was in a deep sleep, she began having a very strange dream.

_In the dream, Alianna was standing in a large field on a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly and there wasn't a cloud in the sky._

_Not far from where she stood, Alianna could see a small boy running around and playing. The boy couldn't have been more than two or three years old. Alianna took a good look at him. He looked very much like Murtagh, except he had Alianna's red hair. Alianna could feel a rush of happiness come over her. She knew right away that this was her son._

_This was confirmed a minute later when the boy looked up at Alianna and smiled. _

_"Momma!" he shouted happily as he ran over to Alianna and jumped into her arms. _

_Alianna held her son tightly and smiled. The smiled quickly faded, however, when out of nowhere Galbatorix appeared and snatched the boy away from her._

_Alianna watched in horror. It felt like her heart was being torn from her chest along with her son. _

_She started crying and shouted. "No! Father please… give him back to me!"_

_The little boy was also crying and struggling to get out of Galbatorix's grip, with no success. _

_"Momma!" he screamed. "Momma help me!"_

_Alianna tried to get to him, but Galbatorix rode off on his horse too quickly. She immediately began running in the direction they were going._

_Alianna ran for a very long time. She ran through the field as well as the forest. A burning pain began shooting up and down her legs, with her bad leg hurting ten times as worse than the other. It became hard for her to breathe as well. Her entire body seemed to be screaming at her to stop. But Alianna didn't. She would gladly take this pain and more if it meant finding her son in time. _

_Eventually Alianna found herself back at the castle. There was a large crowd of people gathered around. As she made her way through she happened to glance at her reflection in a barrel of water and gasped. She looked like she had aged about twenty years. Her red hair was fading in parts and there were lines on her face that hadn't been there before. _

_Before Alianna could think much about it, the crowd began getting very loud. It seemed like there was a big event happening. Alianna stopped the first person she saw and asked her what was going on._

_"The king is dead my lady." the woman said. _

_Alianna was completely shocked. Her father had been around for so long that she had given up hope that this day would come. At the same time, Alianna also felt scared because this meant that she was now queen. While many considered Alianna to be a very good and kind person, she didn't feel like she was ready for this title. To be honest, she had never had any desire to rule. _

_"You're not next in line my lady." the woman explained. _

_Alianna looked very confused. "I don't understand. How is that possible?" Her father didn't have any other children._

_"The king found a new heir a long time ago."_

_Before Alianna could ask who this new heir was, a man stepped put of the castle dressed in very fine robes. He appeared to be in his early twenties. At first, Alianna could only see him from a distance. From where she was standing, it looked like Murtagh. She quickly made her way through the large crowd but when she got to the front, she froze. She saw that this man had red hair and realized that this was her son._

_This was not the happy little boy that Alianna remembered. The man that stood before her had an evil look on his face. He immediately spotted Alianna and glared at her in the exact same way that Galbatorix use to. _

_"Mother…"_

Alianna woke up screaming at the top of her lungs. Her whole body was shaking and she was covered in sweat.

Upon hearing the screams, Murtagh woke up as well. He saw how shaken up Alianna was and gently put his arms around her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Alianna didn't say a word. She immediately got out of bed. This dream had scared her beyond words. What did it all mean? Was this what the future held for them?

_"No!" _Alianna thought. _"I won't allow that to happen." _She knew what she had to do.

Alianna grabbed a bag from the corner of the room, went over to her closet and started filling it with clothes.

"We have to leave." she told Murtagh. "Right now!"

Murtagh looked both confused and worried. "Why? I don't understand. Did you have a bad dream?"

Alianna nodded. "It was more like a nightmare actually." She continued packing up clothes and other items they would need. Her vision was becoming blurry due to all the tears forming in her eyes.

Murtagh walked over to his wife, took the bag, and tried to calm her down.

"It was just a dream." he told her. "It wasn't real."

"No!" Alianna said as she grabbed the bag back from him. "It felt real. It was a warning I know it was."

Murtagh was more confused than ever. "What do you mean a warning? What was the dream about?"

"I don't have time to explain now. I'll tell you as soon as we leave."

"Alianna we can't just up and leave! The entire army is getting ready to go to war. I have to lead them to Surda in a few days."

Alianna became angry as he said this. "What's more important to you Murtagh? Some war that you don't even believe in or your own family?"

Murtagh protested. "That's not fair! You know I love you and would do anything for you."

Alianna walked up to Murtagh and touched his arm. "If you really love me, then you'll trust me when I tell you we have to leave."

Murtagh looked at Alianna for a minute. He could see how upset all of this was making her. Finally, he said. "Alright, we'll go. But I need to figure out a way for us to escape. It might take me a week or two to come up with something."

Alianna shook her head and, without even thinking, blurted out. "We don't have time to wait around that long. Our baby is in danger the longer we stay here!"

Murtagh froze as soon as Alianna said this. His eyes widened as he said. "Did you just say baby?"

"Yes," Alianna admitted. She slowly took off the robe she was wearing.

If there was any doubt in Murtagh's mind, it quickly vanished as he looked down at Alianna's stomach, which was swelling out from underneath her silk nightgown.

After all this time, Alianna couldn't hide it any longer.

"I'm pregnant." she said.

Murtagh was at a loss for words. "What… how…" He looked at her stomach again. "How far along are you?"

"I'm in my fifth month."

"Fifth month? When did you find out?"

Alianna hesitated for a moment before saying nervously. "A few months ago."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Murtagh asked. He was starting to become angry. "How could you lie to me about something like this?"

"I wanted to tell you." Alianna explained. "But I couldn't. I don't want my father to know."

"Do you really think that badly of me? I would never tell Galbatorix."

"No, you wouldn't." Alianna said. "Not intentionally. But you're forgetting that he can get into your mind. I couldn't risk it; I had to protect our baby."

"Protect?"

"Think about it Murtagh. You know how hard it's been growing up around my father. Would you want our son to go through the same thing?"

"Of course not!" Murtagh answered. He would never wish this on anyone, especially his own child. Suddenly, he recalled the last thing Alianna said. "Wait, did you just say our son?"

Alianna looked down at her stomach and then back up at Murtagh.

"Yes," she said as she stepped closer to him. "I saw him in the dream." She rubbed her stomach. "I just know this baby is a boy."

"A son…" Murtagh said to himself. "I'm going to have a son."

Alianna could see a faint smile on Murtagh's face as he said this.

"Yes. And I don't him to go through what we went through." Alianna recalled the last part of the dream and started to cry. "Please Murtagh, we can't let that happen. We can't let my father take our son away from us."

"Take him away?" Murtagh asked. Then it hit him. "Is that what the dream was about? This is what has you so upset?"

Alianna nodded. "He took our son and made him so evil. He…" Thinking about it made her so upset that she couldn't finish what she was saying.

Murtagh kissed her and tried to wipe the tears from her face. "Look at me, that's not going to happen. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you and our son. We'll leave, I promise. We just need to figure a few things out first."

Alianna sat down on their bed. "Like what?"

"For one thing, how are we going to escape without Galbatorix knowing?"

Alianna thought for awhile and then said. "My birthday."

"What about your birthday?"

"That might be the only chance we have to escape."

It made sense. There would be hundreds of people at Alianna's party and so many things going on. Galbatorix would be distracted and that might give them enough time to slip out without him knowing.

Murtagh seemed to agree with her. Now they just needed to figure out where they would go. Murtagh knew there was only one place- Surda. They could hide out among the Varden and maybe even warn them about Galbatorix's plans.

"There's only one problem with that." Alianna said.

While some members of the Varden might trust Murtagh to an extent, there was no way they would trust Alianna once they found out she was Galbatorix's daughter.

Murtagh realized she was right. But what would they do then?

Alianna thought of something. Maybe they could find Eragon. While they didn't know exactly where Eragon was at the moment, Murtagh assumed he was on his way to Surda after his training with the elves. Alianna figured if they could find Eragon first, he could get to know and trust her. Then they could go to Surda with him. If the Varden saw that Eragon trusted Alianna, they might be more accepting of her.

"Do you really think this will work?" Murtagh asked.

"I hope so." Alianna said. "There's really no other option. Besides, Eragon's the only other family we've got."

"Then it's settled then." Murtagh said. "We leave the night of your birthday."

Alianna nodded in agreement. She then went to get up to go to her bath chambers, but winced as she felt pains shoot up her back. Murtagh noticed this and helped Alianna up the rest of the way.

"What happened?" he asked.

"My back hurts a little." Alianna replied. "I've been getting these pains for the last week or two. It's nothing unbearable though. I'm fine."

Murtagh, who didn't look convinced, said. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Alianna asked, confused.

"This whole pregnancy can't be easy for you. And to think you've been going through it alone this whole time…"

Alianna realized there was still one more thing she hasn't told Murtagh. "I haven't gone through it alone."

"What do you mean?"

Alianna took a deep breath. "I'm sure you've noticed how protective Argus has been of me lately."

"Yes, but he always… wait, Argus knows? He's known this whole time?"

"Yes," Alianna admitted.

Murtagh tried not to, but he couldn't help but get angry again. "You told him but you couldn't tell me?"

Alianna tried to remain calm. "I didn't tell him. He figured it out on his own. What was I suppose to do? Argus can tell when I'm lying. Please Murtagh, lets not fight anymore."

"You're right." Murtagh said. Even though he wasn't thrilled about Argus knowing about the baby before he did, he didn't want to upset Alianna any more than she already was. "There are more important things to worry about. We've got a lot to do before we leave."

Alianna agreed. They'd be leaving in just a few days time. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't worried. But they had no choice. For the sake of their son, they had to do this.


	28. Chapter 28

Alianna's birthday had finally arrived. It was hard to believe that she was eighteen now.

For a short period of time she would be the same age as Murtagh. However, Murtagh would be turning nineteen in just a few weeks.

Servants were busy decorating the large banquet hall where the party was to take place. All over the tables were vases filled with some of Alianna's favorite flowers- white roses and orchids.

"It's nice." Murtagh said as he and Alianna looked around.

Alianna nodded in agreement. "It should be an interesting night."

_In more ways than one._

Everything was all set for their escape that night. Alianna and Murtagh had gone over every detail a thousand times. They decided it would be best if they left the party separately. Murtagh would go first, followed by Alianna awhile later. They knew exactly where they would meet up and, incase something went wrong, had a backup location.

So far nobody seemed to suspect anything. It was hard for Alianna to act like nothing was wrong though. Especially in front of Argus. During the last couple of days Alianna had spent as much time as she possibly could with him. If Argus suspected anything, he certainly didn't show it.

Alianna felt horrible not being able to tell him. She felt even worse for leaving him behind. It took every ounce of strength she had not to too emotional around Argus. As much as Alianna hated lying to him, she knew that it was for the best.

The next few hours Alianna spent getting ready for the evening. It felt a little silly to her to go through with this party when there were more important things to do.

"It's your birthday." Murtagh told her. "You should have a little fun."

Alianna simply nodded. She then went over to her closet looking for a dress to wear. She was having trouble finding one.

Murtagh smiled. "I think I can help you with that."

Alianna looked at Murtagh, very confused as he reached underneath their bed, pulled out a large package and handed it to her.

"What is it?" Alianna asked.

"For you."

Alianna thanked him and then slowly opened it. She gasps as she sees that it's a dark blue dress.

The dress was absolutely stunning. It had a velvet bodice with trim along the top and bottom edges. There were padded shoulder rolls and long sleeves with lace trim at the cuffs. The skirt was also velvet at the front and back with crimson satin at the sides.

"Do you like it?" Murtagh asked her.

"I love it." Alianna replied with a smile. "But how did you manage to get a dress so quickly?"

"I actually planned this weeks ago. I had to guess at your size though. I hope it fits. When I ordered it I didn't know that you were pregnant."

"It looks perfect." Alianna said as she kissed him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Alianna went behind her screen to change. She took off the dress she was wearing and slipped into a new dress.

The dress was a little tight around the stomach, but other than that it was perfect.

Alianna came out from behind her screen and asked Murtagh what he thought.

"You look beautiful." he told her.

Alianna looked down at her stomach and then back at Murtagh. "But…"

As if Murtagh could read her mind, he said. "You can't even tell that you're pregnant."

"Really?"

Murtagh nodded and assured Alianna that everything would be fine. "Don't worry."

"You're right." Alianna said as she continued to get ready for the party.

Alianna styled her hair into waves. She then put on her sapphire bracelet and silver locket. After checking herself in a mirror, she turned towards Murtagh.

"Like I said… beautiful." He watched as Alianna stared down at her dress. "But you know we won't be able to bring it with us."

"I know."

They weren't going to be able to bring much with them. And the clothes Alianna did pack were the most casual ones she owned. They were going to be on the run. People would become very suspicious if Alianna wore expensive gowns. The only things that Alianna was bringing that were of any value were her locket and bracelet. She couldn't bear to leave those behind.

A minute later there was a knock on their door. Alianna went over and opened it. She smiled when she saw that it was Argus.

"Hello Argus."

Argus smiled back. "Happy birthday Alianna." He saw that she was dressed up and looked her up and down. "You look…"

Argus stopped when both he and Alianna saw that Murtagh was glaring at him.

Alianna decided to change the subject. "Is something going on?"

"Not at all. I've come to escort you to the party."

Murtagh stepped closer. "I can do that myself."

"The king gave me orders." Argus said.

"Fine." Murtagh replied. Clearly he wasn't happy.

"Could you give us a moment please?" Alianna asked Argus.

"Of course." Argus said as he walked out into the hall.

Once the door was shut, Alianna turned to Murtagh. "Don't. Not tonight…"

"What are you talking about?" Murtagh asked her.

"You know very well what I'm talking about! Can't you get along with Argus? I know you don't like him, but he means a lot to me. Please? Just for a couple of hours."

Murtagh sighed. "I'll try."

"That's all I'm asking for."

The two of them then walked out the door.

When Alianna saw Argus waiting for them, it looked like he wanted to say something to her, but he didn't. Instead they began walking to the banquet hall.

It took awhile for them to get there. Alianna and Argus spent most of that time talking. She was very careful what she said though. Occasionally Murtagh would join in on their conversation. He didn't look thrilled about talking to Argus, but Alianna appreciated that he was making an effort for her sake.

Finally, they arrived at the banquet hall. Alianna could hear the crowd of people talking from behind the doors. She suddenly felt very nervous. There were so many people inside. Could she really go in there, pretend to be happy and act like nothing was going on?

"It's alright." Murtagh whispered to her.

Alianna nodded and then took a deep breath.

_"You can do this." _she said to herself as she linked her arm with Murtagh's.

The doors were opened and Alianna, Murtagh, and Argus stepped inside.

Everyone in the hall stood up and clapped as Alianna's name was announced. Alianna smiled at them all as she and Murtagh stepped forward. Argus stayed behind, but smiled slightly as Alianna looked back at him.

When Alianna turned back around, she saw Galbatorix approaching her. He just said a few words to her, making it sound like he actually cared that it was her birthday and then returned to his seat at a table in the far corner of the room. Alianna and Murtagh took a seat at their table.

Dinner was served shortly after. It included some of Alianna's favorite foods. Alianna ate until she thought she was going to burst. She was glad that her appetite had finally come back. Luckily nobody seemed to notice how much she was eating, except for Murtagh. Once dinner was over music began to play and some people stepped onto the floor to dance while others stood together and had conversations among themselves.

Alianna started to feel nervous. Murtagh had told her earlier that he would leave about an hour after the music began. Alianna took another deep breath as she and Murtagh got up from their table and began to walk around. Several people approached Alianna to wish her well.

"Time moves by so fast." one man said. "I remember when I first saw you. You were four years old…"

Stories like this continued on for awhile. Alianna didn't think they would ever stop. Still, she listened to them all and thanked them for their kind words.

It occurred to Alianna that nobody seemed to have any stories about her before the age of two. She thought this was very odd, but before she could dwell on it much, Murtagh asked her if she would like to dance. Alianna said yes, but she was surprised that Murtagh had asked her. While she had always enjoyed dancing, she knew that Murtagh hated it.

While they were dancing, Alianna glanced over at Galbatorix, who was in the far corner of the room talking to someone. He was paying no attention to Alianna at all.

_"This might actually work." _Alianna said to herself. She then turned her attention back to Murtagh.

Murtagh looked all around before saying quietly. "After this dance."

Alianna knew he meant that was when he would leave. She nodded and they finished dancing.

Afterward, Murtagh kissed Alianna and told her to wait about four more dances before she left.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Murtagh hesitated, but ultimately made his way through the crowd and left. Alianna tried not to react as she watched this.

Once Murtagh was gone, Alianna went around and talked to some more people. She did this until four dances had passed. She glanced again at Galbatorix, who still wasn't paying any attention to her.

Alianna then walked toward the main entrance of the hall, only to stop when she saw that Argus was still standing there.

Argus was looking all around, no doubt making sure that Alianna was alright and that there weren't any threats to her. Their eyes met for a second before Alianna quickly turned away.

_"I can't leave from there now. Argus will see me and know something is going on. There has to be another way out."_

Sure enough, Alianna found a side door that did not appear to be guarded.

_"This is it."_

Alianna walked passed the many people who were still dancing and quickly walked out the door and back up to her chambers.

***************************

After Alianna grabbed the rest of her belongings, she realized that there was one more thing that she needed to do. If she was able to succeed with this it would put her father at a huge disadvantage.

Quickly, Alianna made her way down to the room where the last remaining dragon egg was being held. She didn't dare use the main entrance of the room, which was always heavily guarded. Instead she used the secret entrance into the room that only she, Galbatorix, and Murtagh knew about. When Alianna got inside, there on a small table was the green egg.

To anyone else it might look easy to take the egg and just run, but Alianna knew better. She knew that her father had long ago cast many spells to protect the egg incase someone were to try and take it. Luckily for Alianna, Galbatorix had taught her how to break these spells. Of course, this was back when Galbatorix thought Alianna would follow in his footsteps and maybe be of some use to him.

Alianna hesitated for a moment since they were pretty complicated spells to break. She had been trying to avoid using magic lately. But then she realized that she had to do this. She said the words that needed to be said, breaking the spell.

Alianna then walked up to the table and gently took the egg in her hands. Before she could really look at it, Alianna thought she heard a noise. She began to walk away quickly.

***************************

Alianna stepped out of the room; the egg was in a small pouch at her side. She started running, which was difficult with her swollen stomach, to meet up with Murtagh. Far in the distance she could here a group of guards yelling. She knew that they were probably looking for her.

Alianna tried to pick up the pace and continue on. Suddenly, as she was turning a corner, she ran straight and hard into someone. Alianna jumped back and gasped. She calmed down though when she realized that it was just Argus.

"What are you doing?" Alianna asked as she was trying to steady her breathing.

"I was looking for you." Argus answered. "You were really going to leave without saying goodbye?"

Alianna was shocked. She couldn't believe that Argus knew. She'd tried so hard not to give anything away. "How did you find out?"

Argus, with a slight smile, replied. "Were you ever able to keep a secret from me?"

Alianna apologized. "I'm sorry Argus. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't." She remembered the last time she and Murtagh had tried to leave. Alianna had told Emma and then Emma ended up dead. She didn't want that to happen to Argus.

"I can't bear the thought of losing another person that I love."

Alianna could hear the sound of the guards again and looked in that direction.

Argus looked too and then said. "You should go."

"Argus, come with us." Alianna begged. "Please…"

Argus hesitated for a moment before saying. "You know I usually can't say no to you, but I'll make an exception this time."

Alianna couldn't believe it. Argus couldn't stay here now. If he did…

"Argus please! You have to come. If you-"

Argus interrupted Alianna and moved closer to her until they were only inches apart.

"Listen to me Alianna, the guards are getting closer. I can go and distract them for a few minutes, but probably not much more than that. That should give you enough time to get out of here."

Alianna's eyes widened. "Argus no! I can't let you do this."

"It's the only way." Argus insisted. "Otherwise the guards will catch up to you. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Alianna could feel her heart tightening up in her chest. Her eyes flooded with tears and a few began trickling down her face.

"But my father will kill you if you stay here."

"Maybe he will, maybe he won't" Argus told her. "It doesn't matter. All I care about is you getting out of her. I made a promise to you when we first met that I would never let anything bad happen to you."

"I'm sorry Argus."

"Why are you sorry?" Argus asked, confused.

"For being such a burden." Alianna explained. "You've spent so many years protecting me when you could have been doing something else. Something that wouldn't put your life in danger all the time."

Argus shook his head. "You have never been a burden! For the past sixteen years you've been the most important person in my life. I don't regret any of this. Alianna, you've given my life meaning again."

Alianna was a little taken back. It was then that she happened to glance down and saw that Argus was holding a small package wrapped in brown paper.

Argus noticed this and handed it to Alianna. "I was going to give this to you later, for your birthday. It's not much, but I thought you would like it. Don't open it now though. Wait until you've gotten safely out of here."

Alianna touched the paper gently before placing the package in her pouch.

"Argus…"

She was so overcome with emotions that she didn't know how to respond.

Before Alianna knew what was happening, Argus stepped even closer. He tucked a few stray strands of Alianna's hair behind her ear and rested his hand on her cheek.

Argus didn't say a word. He just leaned in until his lips were inches from hers.

Alianna knew she should stop this. She was married to Murtagh and carrying his child. She shouldn't be in this position with another man. But the again, this wasn't just any man… this was Argus.

Without another hesitation, Alianna closed the distance between them and gently kissed Argus.

The kiss was short but sweet, only lasting a few seconds. Afterward, Alianna rested her forehead against Argus'.

Argus looked at her and said. "I love you Alianna."

"I love you too." Alianna replied. She meant it too. Perhaps not in the same way that she felt about Murtagh, but she still loved him.

Alianna, and no doubt Argus, could hear the guards getting even closer.

"You have to go." Argus said softly.

Alianna knew he was right, but she still stood there. She hated the thought of leaving Argus behind. It felt wrong.

Alianna could tell just by looking at Argus that he was just moments away from breaking down.

"Go!" Argus said more forcefully.

Alianna kissed him quickly before she turned her back and began to run. When she got to the end of the hallway she looked back at Argus, knowing that this might be the last time she ever saw him.

Alianna took a deep breath before she continued to run, trying to get to Murtagh as fast as she could.

***************************

Alianna and Murtagh had agreed to meet by the stables. She ran all the way there without stopping.

When she arrived, she didn't see Murtagh right away. This caused her to panic as she feared the guards might've captured him.

Finally, Murtagh emerged from around the corner, holding onto the reins of Tornac and Bella.

Murtagh saw Alianna and breathed a sigh of relief. "I was about to go back into the castle and look for you." He noticed how upset she looked and asked. "Are you alright?"

Alianna nodded her head, even though she wasn't alright. She was still trying to deal with what happened with Argus just moments ago.

Alianna then looked at Tornac and Bella. "Are we going to be riding on them through the city gates?"

"Not exactly." Murtagh told her.

Alianna asked Murtagh what he meant, but before he could answer her, she heard a sound coming from the sky. She looked up and saw that it was Thorn, who was about to descend. A few seconds later, he landed near them. The noise from this was loud enough to startle Tornac and Bella. Murtagh tried to calm them down.

In the meantime, Alianna looked at Thorn. It had been awhile since she has seen him. Although Thorn was only a few months old, he appeared to be almost as big as a full grown dragon. This was no doubt due to some sort of dark magic used by Galbatorix. Despite this, Thorn was a beautiful dragon. His eyes sparkled like rubies. He had very strong muscles and a sturdy build. Alianna knew he would do very well in battle.

Suddenly, Alianna could feel a slight pressure against her mind. She quickly guarded it, but once she realized it was Thorn trying to speak to her she relaxed.

"_Hello young one."_

Alianna was a little surprised. While Thorn had spoken to her before, he usually only spoke to Murtagh.

_"Hello Thorn."_

_"I'm glad you made it out. Murtagh was very worried. So was I."_

_"Thank you. I'm fine now."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Yes."_

Thorn seemed to be very concerned about Alianna. This didn't surprise her since Murtagh and Thorn had a very strong connection, just as Alianna did with Murtagh. And through him, Thorn felt connected to Alianna was well.

Murtagh interrupted their thoughts. "We have to get going."

Alianna noticed the saddle strapped on Thorn. "Are you going to be riding on him?" She was more than willing to take Tornac and Bella, but she was also worried about the guards at the gate. Since she was pregnant, there was no way she would be able to fight them.

"No." Murtagh told her. "You are."

"I don't understand."

Murtagh turned to Thorn and spoke out loud. "Remember what I told you. I need you to take Alianna and her as far away from here as you possibly can. I'm going to take the horses and go through the city gates. I'll meet up with the two of you later."

Alianna's eyes widened. "No!"

Thorn let out a low growl, indicating that he wasn't too thrilled with Murtagh's plan either.

"I don't have a choice." Murtagh explained. "I'm not going to lose you again."

"I understand." Alianna replied. "But there has to be another way."

"There isn't!"

"But all those guards at the city gates…"

"You don't think I can handle them?" Murtagh asked.

"Of course you can." Alianna assured him. "Especially now that you're a Rider. I'm just worried you might get hurt."

"I'll be fine." Murtagh said. "But if something does happen…well… at least you'll get out of here. I told you, I'll do whatever it takes to protect you and our son."

Before Alianna could respond, Thorn spoke to both of them.

_"We must get going! I can hear the soldiers."_

Both Alianna and Murtagh nodded. As much as Alianna hated this plan, she realized she didn't have time to argue further.

Murtagh helped Alianna onto Thorn and made sure she was securely on the saddle. He then looked up at Thorn.

"No matter what happens, get her out of here."

Alianna could feel tears forming in her eyes again. Possible losing Argus was bad enough. But Alianna couldn't bear it if she never saw Murtagh again. She thought about the time when they were separated and how it felt like a part of herself was missing. She knew she couldn't be able to go through that again.

Murtagh approached Alianna. "Everything will be alright." He kissed her gently. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Murtagh looked down at Alianna's stomach and placed his hand on it for a moment before finally walking away. He nodded at Thorn.

Before Alianna knew what was happening, Thorn spread his large wings and the two of them quickly flew up into the dark sky.

**AN: This was an extremly difficult chapter for me to write, which is why it took so long. I hope it was worth the wait. Thank you all for sticking with this story. I'll try and not have it be so long in between chapters from now on. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think :) **


	29. Chapter 29

**AN: I thought it would be interesting to do another chapter from Argus's pov. I'll get back to Alianna/Murtagh in the next chapter... promise :) Hope you enjoy. **

Argus knew that he shouldn't kiss Alianna. He knew it, but he didn't care. This could be the last time he ever saw her.

After tucking a few stray strands of Alianna's hair behind her ear, he rested his hand on her cheek. He waited to see how she would react. The last thing Argus wanted to do was make Alianna upset and have her hate him for this.

To Argus' surprise however, Alianna slowly leaned in and kissed him. The feeling of her lips on his was absolutely incredible. Still, Argus could hear a small voice in the back of his head.

_What are you thinking?!! She's the Princess of Alagaesia! This is treason. The king will have you killed when he finds out. _

Argus ignored the voice and continued to kiss Alianna for a few more seconds.

Finally Argus pulled away, even though it pained him to do so. He knew that there wasn't much time left.

"I love Alianna." he said as he rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you too." Alianna said softly.

Before another word could be spoken, Argus could hear the guards again. They were getting closer by the minute.

_No! I can't say goodbye to her. Not yet…_

_If you don't the guards will capture her. It's the only way._

Argus struggled to get the words out. "You have to go."

Argus thought Alianna would leave right away after that but she didn't. She just stood there.

Deep down this didn't surprise Argus. When had Alianna ever listened to him? But this was different. He had to make her listen this time.

Somehow Argus managed to find the strength to speak.

"Go!"

Alianna, with tears glistening in her beautiful brown eyes, kissed him quickly and then turned away.

As he watched her run, stopping briefly at the end of the hall to look at him, Argus felt a sudden sense of emptiness. Alianna meant the world to him. He'd spent sixteen years of his life completely devoted to her. While he'd always known that this day might come, it was still killing Argus inside. What would he do now that Alianna was gone?

_You still have to protect her. The guards are coming. You need to distract them. _

Without anymore hesitation, Argus listened to where the sound of the guards was coming from and ran in that direction.

It didn't take long for Argus to find them. There were five guards, three of whom Argus recognized as Galbatorix's personal guards. All of them were looking around frantically.

_"You need to remain calm." _Argus said to himself. _"You can't act like something is wrong."_

Argus asked them what was going on.

"Princess Alianna is missing!" one of the guards said. "The king ordered us to find her. He believes she's been gone for almost an hour. He's very angry and if we don't…"

Argus smiled and let out a slight laugh.

"What could you possibly find humorous at a time like this?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that Alianna may not want to be found?" Argus asked. "She and Murtagh probably left the party early and went somewhere to be alone."

"Perhaps you're right. You seem to know her well."

"I'm sure if you look in their chambers you'll find them. I'll come with you."

The guards agreed and followed Argus to Alianna and Murtagh's chambers. The whole time they were walking, Argus was silently praying that Alianna hadn't left anything behind that would cause the guards to figure out that she had escaped.

When they reached the chambers a few minutes later, the guards searched the entire room from top to bottom. Luckily they didn't find anything too suspicious other than the fact that Alianna wasn't there.

"Where is she?" a guard asked. He turned to Argus. "You said she would be here!"

"I guessed that she would be here." Argus told him. "I didn't know for sure."

"The king will not be pleased. He's going to want to speak to you."

Argus nodded. He knew that this would happen. What he didn't know was what the king would do to him.

"Where is he now?"

The guard told him that Galbatorix was in his private chambers.

"I'll go speak to him at once." Argus said. "In the meantime, keep looking."

***************************

How many times had Argus seen Galbatorix angry?

_"Millions." _Argus thought as he entered the king's chambers.

Still, this was by far the angriest he had ever seen him.

Very cautiously, Argus approached Galbatorix, who appeared to be in a deep conversation with a man he didn't recognize.

As soon as Galbatorix saw Argus however, he ordered the man to leave. The king was silent for several seconds. This worried Argus.

_"What could he possibly be thinking?"_

Finally Galbatorix spoke. "Argus…"

"Yes my lord?" Argus replied.

Galbatorix continued. "Is it not your duty to look after the princess and to keep track of her at all times?"

"Yes," Argus admitted. "But I can explain."

"I don't need an explanation!" Galbatorix said angrily. "I need her to be found.

Argus replied. "With all due respect my lord, Princess Alianna has run off before. I'm sure it won't be long before she returns."

Galbatorix shook his head. "This is different. I've had the entire castle searched as well as the grounds. She's nowhere to be found. This doesn't make sense."

Argus watched as Galbatorix began pacing around the room. The then stopped suddenly and glared at him.

"Unless…"

"Unless?" Argus asked. He was worried about where Galbatorix was going with this. He couldn't possibly know that Argus had helped Alianna escape… could he?

Argus could feel sweat beginning to form on his face.

"Unless you know where she is?"

"I'm afraid I don't." Argus said, trying his best to sound confused.

Galbatorix stepped closer to him. "You know her. Better than anyone. Where is she?"

"I don't know."

"I think you do. You care about the princess don't you?"

"Of course." Argus answered. "I've been her guard for sixteen years."

"Enough to help her escape?" Galbatorix asked.

"I would never…" Argus told him.

"Wouldn't you? I'm not a fool Argus. I've heard the rumors about the two of you. Of course, they couldn't possibly be true. That would be treason and I'd have no choice but to have you killed."

Argus tried to speak again, but it was too late. Galbatorix knew he was hiding something. Argus could tell just by the look on his face.

"I suggest you start talking." Galbatorix said, clearly becoming angrier with each passing second. "Or else…"

Argus knew what he meant by that. If he didn't tell Galbatorix what he knew, then the king would force it out of him by getting into his mind.

_"I won't let that happen." _he thought.

Without any hesitation, Argus decided that if Galbatorix were to do this, he would quickly kill himself before things went too far. Many would say that that was too extreme, but Argus didn't care. He'd rather die than reveal to Galbatorix where Alianna was. He loved her that much.

Suddenly, the chamber doors flew open and in walked one of the guards that Argus had run into earlier.

"My lord," the guard said while trying to catch his breath. "I apologize for disturbing you but…"

"Has she been found?"

The guard shook his head. "No. I understand you're upset but there's something you should know."

"You don't understand!" Galbatorix shouted. "She knows too much! If she were to…"

Argus knew that Alianna knew many of Galbatorix's secrets and that was part of the reason he needed to find her. But by the sound of his voice, Argus could tell there was more to it than that.

Before Argus could think further on the subject, the guard spoke frantically.

"My lord the egg is missing!"

Argus could see Galbatorix's eyes widened.

"What do you mean it's missing? That's not possible!"

Argus couldn't help but smirk. It wasn't hard for him to realize what Alianna had done. After all, he had run into her not far from the room where the egg was held.

The guard tried to speak again, but Galbatorix interrupted him.

"Nevermind! I'm on my way. In the meantime, keep looking for the princess."

"And if we find her?" the guard asked.

"I don't care what you have to do to her." Galbatorix said coldly. "Just bring her back."

Argus had tried to remain calm. But at that moment, something inside him snapped.

"But she's your daughter!"

Galbatorix glared at Argus, but then looked back at the guard.

"As you wish my lord." the guard said.

Galbatorix turned his attention back to Argus. "This is far from over."

As Argus watched Galbatorix leave, he knew this was true. But no matter what happened, he wouldn't tell Galbatorix anything. Even if this meant giving up his own life. Argus had made a promise to always protect Alianna. He certainly wasn't going to break that promise now.


	30. Notice

First of all, I apologize for this not being an actual chapter. There are just some things that I need to say to everyone.

I haven't forgotten about this story. Not at all. But between work and several personal issues, things have been really crazy. I haven't been writing as much as I would like to. Even when I do find the time to write, it's just so hard. I wouldn't call it writer's block, but…. I don't know. I hate to admit this, but I feel like I've lost interest in Broken sometimes. I'm not the same person I was when I first started writing the story.

Don't worry, I have every intention of finishing it. I pretty much have the rest of the storyline planned out in my head. But on top of losing some interest, I've been having some major issues with my characters.

Often, as I'm sure is the case with a lot of writers, characters take on a life of their own. They end up doing things or playing a bigger part than you originally planned. Specifically in my case, I'm talking about Argus. When I started writing Broken, Argus was only going to be a very minor character. He was just going to be one of Alianna's guards who made an appearance every so often. Hell, I wasn't even going to give him a name. But eventually I got sick of writing "her guard said this" or "her guard said that". Anyway, it got to the point in the story ****spoilers ahead** **where Alianna and Murtagh are separated for all those months. Alianna was a wreck and I wanted someone that would be there for her and help her through everything. Otherwise, if Alianna had been alone that whole time, the story would've been way too depressing. So the first character that popped into my head was Argus and things have gone from there as you know. I absolutely love writing about him and Alianna as well as doing entire chapters from his pov. Maybe I love it a little too much….

For awhile now, it seems like (to me anyway) Alianna has more chemistry with Argus than she does with Murtagh. This worries me. I don't know what to do. I've dug myself such a deep hole….

Sorry for rambling. I just had to get that all out.

I'm going to try my best to get the next chapter up (I've got a few ideas already written down) in time for the 3 year anniversary next month, but I can't make any promises. After that, it might be even longer in between updates than it usually is. Maybe it won't be… who knows. Depends on how things go.

I'd really appreciate any input you guys have. You can send me a message through here or catch me on aim- YankeesGirl521

Thank you all so much for sticking with this story for so long and for putting up with me. Hope to hear from you soon.

-Adrianne


	31. Chapter 30

**AN: I had hoped to have this chapter done in time for the 3 year anniversary, but yeah that didn't happen lol. Last night after watching Avatar (an amazing movie btw. It helped me break out of my writer's block for some reason.) I sat myself down and was determined to finish this chapter, even if it took me all night. Kinda random, but I think if Broken were ever made into a movie, Sam Worthington would make a great Argus. Maybe it's just me lol. Anyway, thank you so much for being patient with me. I know it's not easy. I realize this chapter is rather short and not a whole heck of a lot happens, but I guess it's something. Enjoy! Let me know what you think. **

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Alianna couldn't remember the last time she had ridden on a dragon, Whenever it had been, she was sure the experience wasn't like this. She held on tight as Thorn flew threw the sky at a blinding speed. They had been flying for hours Alianna guessed. The wind blew threw her hair and she found herself shivering.

How far was Thorn planning to go? She remembered Murtagh telling him to go as far as he possibly could, but still.

Suddenly, Alianna felt very light headed and nauseous. She hadn't felt like this since the beginning of her pregnancy. She tried to ignore it for awhile, hoping it would go away. It didn't.

_Thorn, we have to stop. Please…_

Thorn turned his head to look at Alianna. He no doubt could tell that something was wrong.

_Hang on. There's an area where we can make camp just a few minutes up ahead. _

Alianna nodded.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Thorn landed in a secluded area near a river. Alianna quickly climbed off, keeled over on the ground, and began to vomit. The vomiting didn't last very long, but as soon as she stood up afterward, Alianna felt like the ground was spinning underneath her.

Slowly, she made her way over to Thorn, took one of the water skins out of a bag, and drank a few sips. This seemed to make her feel somewhat better, though the baby began kicking her feverishly. Alianna smiled slightly and rubbed her stomach.

_"Are you alright?" _Thorn asked. _What happened?"_

_I'm fine. Just felt a little nauseous for a moment. I guess the baby isn't use to flying yet. _

_Still, I think it's best if we stay here. We should be safe for now. _

Alianna looked up at Thorn, almost afraid to ask this question.

_Have you heard from Murtagh? Is he alright?_

_Yes. He had to fight off some guards, but he made it out. _

_How far away is he?_

_About two days ride. Maybe less. He said he wasn't making many stops. _

_What? Why wouldn't he…_

Then it hit her.

_You told him I got sick, didn't you? Thorn why did you do that?_

_He asked me how you were. I had to tell him. _

Alianna sighed.

_I know you did. I just don't want him to worry any more than he has to. _

_You're a good person Alianna. _

_That's very kind of you to say, even though it's not true. _

Immediately, Alianna's thoughts drifted back to Argus and the terrible guilt she felt for leaving him behind.

Before Thorn could question her, however, she quickly changed the subject.

_So two days then?_

She decided to unpack a few things. As Alianna was doing this, the small pouch she had been carrying kept getting in the way. Alianna looked inside to make sure that the egg was safe, which it was. She knew she couldn't keep carrying it around herself though.

_Thorn, I need you to keep something safe for me._

_Of course. What is it?_

Alianna approached Thorn, opened the pouch, and carefully took out the egg.

_Alianna! That's…_

_I know. _

_But how?_

_It wasn't easy. _

_Do you know what this could mean?_

_I do. Which is why I need you to carry this for the time being. _

_I'll guard it with my life. _

Alianna secured the pouch onto Thorn and placed the egg back in. It was then that she saw Argus' gift at the bottom of the pouch.

_"Don't open it now." _Argus had said. _"Wait until you've gotten safely out of here." _

Alianna figured this was about as safe as she was going to get. She took the gift out and sat on the ground. Slowly and carefully, she unwrapped the brown paper from around it and felt tears in her eyes as she saw what it was.

In her hands was a small journal with a blue satin cover.

It had been so long since she had written in one. After she had filled up her last journal, which was not long after she and Murtagh were separated, Alianna began to lose heart.

Murtagh had never seen the sense in any of it, but Argus was always very supportive. He encouraged Alianna to get back into writing. He thought it would do her a lot of good. But she never did.

Alianna didn't know how she was going to find the time, but she was determined to write in this journal. She owed it to herself. She owed it to Argus. If Alianna ever saw him again, she would have to thank him. This gift meant more to her than all the finest jewelry and dresses in Alagaesia.

Suddenly, a horrible thought crept into her head.

_You may never get the chance to thank him. Argus could very well be dead right now. _

_No! He can't be dead. He just can't be. _

Alianna forced herself to push these thoughts to the back of her head. She would drive herself crazy at this rate. She needed to calm down. She knew getting so upset was not good for her or her baby.

Thorn, who had been watching Alianna carefully for the last several minutes, asked. "_What's troubling you Alianna?"_

_It's nothing._

_It has something to do with that gift doesn't it? Who gave it to you?_

_I'm alright Thorn. But I am feeling rather tired. I think I'll try and get some sleep now. It's been a long day. _

Thorn agreed and told Alianna that he would keep watch and alert her if there was any sign of danger.

Alianna pulled out a small blanket and wrapped it around herself. She then leaned against Thorn for warmth.

Within minutes, Alianna began drifting off to sleep, clutching the journal tightly to her chest.


	32. Chapter 31

_Alianna once again saw the blurry figures of a man and a woman. But this time, the woman's screams were becoming louder and louder until finally she turned her head and began to speak. What she was saying, Alianna did not know. _

_The woman then turned her attention back to the man. As soon as she did this, he took his sword and stabbed her in the stomach. She collapsed on the ground, blood flowing heavily from her wound. _

_The last image Alianna saw was of the burning house in the background._

Alianna sat straight up, gasping for breath. Her body was covered in sweat.

Thorn looked at her, concerned.

_Are you alright?_

After steadying her breathing, Alianna said. _"I'm fine."_

_Was it a nightmare?_

_Yes, the same one. But there were more details this time. I wish I knew what it all meant. _

_I'm sure you'll figure it out. _

_I hope you're right._

Alianna got up and, feeling rather hungry, she reached into one of the bags and took out some bread and an apple.

_Thorn, I'll be alright for awhile if you need to go and hunt. _

_That won't be necessary. _

_I'm serious. I don't want you to go hungry. _

_Don't worry young one. I hunted well before I left. I should be just fine until Murtagh arrives. _

Alianna nodded at him and began to eat. It didn't take long for her to devour the food. After that Alianna decided to walk down to the river to bathe.

Thorn stayed far enough away to give her some privacy but close enough where he could get to her quickly if she needed help.

As Alianna was walking, she took a good look around her. It occurred to her that this was the first time she had ever been outside of Uru'baen. She had no idea where she was, even though she had seen a map of Alagaesia thousands of times. Obviously they were near a river, but which one? Ramr? Jiet? She would have to ask Murtagh once he arrived.

Alianna sighed as she thought of him. She hoped he was alright.

Within a few minutes Alianna arrived at the river. After checking to make sure no one was around, she slipped out of her dress and slowly stepped into the water. It felt good to be able to wash away all the dirt from traveling. The water was warm and relaxing. Alianna felt like she could lay there for hours. But she knew she had to get back. After quickly washing her hair she got out of the water, put her dress back on and headed back to the camp site.

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Over the next two days there was nothing for Alianna to do but wait. She tried to distract herself from thinking about Murtagh by talking to Thorn or writing in her journal. Neither of which worked for very long. She felt a tightening in her chest with each passing hour.

When it got to be nightfall, Alianna turned to Thorn.

_Still no word?_

_None._

_I know what Murtagh told you, but I think we should go look for him. What if he's hurt? Or captured?_

Suddenly Thorn turned his head in the direction of the forest. In the distance Alianna could hear horses and began to panic. Had her father's soldiers found them already?

Quickly she reached into one of her bags and pulled out her sword. Alianna and Thorn waited for any sign of movement. A few seconds later she saw two horses- one dark, the other white.

Alianna relaxed and began to smile.

Murtagh!

The tightening in her chest vanished as she ran towards him. As she got closer, Alianna noticed that Murtagh looked absolutely exhausted. He probably hadn't slept at all in the past two days. But Alianna didn't care about any of this as she wrapped her arms around him.

Murtagh held her tightly. "Alianna! You're alright."

"Of course." Alianna said.

Before Alianna could ask him if he was alright, Murtagh crushed his lips onto hers. She immediately kissed him back. It had only been two days but it felt like longer then that.

When the need for air finally presented itself, they pulled apart.

Murtagh looked at her, concerned. "You were sick…"

"It didn't last long." Alianna assured him. "I'm much better now."

"Is the baby alright?" Murtagh asked.

Alianna smiled. "He's fine. What about you? Thorn said you had to fight off some guards."

"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

Alianna could tell just by the look on his face that it hadn't been as easy as he was making it out to be. Still, she didn't press him any further.

"We should pack up and leave as soon as possible." Murtagh said. "I think it's best if we travel on our horses for the time being."

Alianna shook her head. "You need to rest."

"We have to keep going. It's dangerous for us to stay in one place for too long."

"I understand that, believe me. Just a couple of hours then. You'll feel better plus it'll give Thorn a chance to hunt. Please?"

"You're not going to give up until I say yes are you?"

Alianna shook her head no.

Thorn chimed in.

_She's quite stubborn this one. But I agree with her. _

"Alright." Murtagh sighed. "But just for a few hours."

Alianna smiled. "I'll get you something to eat."

While Alianna got the food out of the bag, Murtagh started a small fire. They figured it was safe enough.

"Here." Alianna said as she handed Murtagh some bread and dried meat and sat next to him.

"Thank you." Murtagh replied. "Aren't you going to have some?"

"I ate earlier."

Murtagh just nodded and began to eat.

The two of them just sat there in silence for a long time. Alianna thought about asking him exactly what had happened during the last two days or about where they were going next. But she decided to wait until he had rested.

After Murtagh finished eating he layed down for awhile, although he refused to sleep incase something were to happen.

While he did this, Alianna took out her journal and began to write. She became so lost in her writing that she did not notice Murtagh looking over at her until he spoke.

"You started writing again?"

"Yes."

Murtagh looked down at her journal. "Where did you get that?"

Alianna hesitated to tell him. She knew that Murtagh wasn't thrilled whenever the subject of Argus came up. He didn't hate Argus, but it was probably as close to hatred as you could get.

Despite this, Alianna told Murtagh the truth.

Murtagh looked at her strangely. "When did you see him?"

Alianna told him the story about how she had run into Argus along the way and that he stayed behind to distract the guards so that she could escape. The only detail she left out was the kiss, for obvious reasons.

"I'm glad he helped you." Murtagh said. "Who knows what would've happened if he hadn't."

"I know." Alianna said sadly.

Murtagh got up and sat next to Alianna. "He's alright."

Alianna looked at him, wondering what he meant.

Murtagh continued. "Argus."

"How do you know?"

"I scryed him last night." he told her.

"You did?" Alianna asked, surprised.

Murtagh nodded. "I knew you'd be worried about him. And I know… how much he means to you."

"Thank you." Alianna said. She wiped a few tears that had fallen from her eyes. "So Argus is really okay?" She would feel absolutely horrible if something were to happen to him.

"Yes." Murtagh said.

But an odd expression came across his face. Then, thinking Alianna couldn't hear him, he mumbled. "He's alive anyway."


	33. Chapter 32

**AN: My (late) Christmas present to all of you. Enjoy! :) **

Alianna and Murtagh gathered up their belongings and were preparing to leave.

"Where are we going?" Alianna asked. She wondered how they were going to find Eragon. Murtagh had told her that he had tried to scry him but for some reason was unable to.

However, while Murtagh had been traveling the last two days, he had heard rumors that Eragon had been in Helgrind and was now somewhere near the village of Eastcroft.

"Do you think he's still there?"

"He may be in the general area." Murtagh replied.

Eastcroft was a couple of days from where they were. Alianna was sure that Eragon would no longer be there by the time they arrived. But she figured it was worth a try.

Thorn arrived back just as they were packing up. Alianna decided to check on the egg before they left. With everything that had been going on she realized that she hadn't told Murtagh about it yet.

"I have to show you something." she said.

The two of them walked over to the bag and Alianna showed him the egg.

Murtagh was amazed. "How did you manage to get it? The spells Galbatorix placed around it were so powerful that…"

"He taught me how to break the spells years ago."

"I thought you weren't going to use magic." Murtagh said. "We don't know what effect it could have on the baby."

"I've only used it when it was absolutely necessary." she told him.

"And this was necessary?"

Alianna told him that it was. "Just think what it would mean if the Varden had three Riders."

"We don't even know if it'll hatch."

"It could."

Murtagh sighed. "You should have told me sooner." He then put some protective spells around it just incase.

After that, Murtagh helped Alianna onto her horse and the two of them began to ride off. Thorn followed ahead of them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Due to Alianna's pregnancy and the fact that she tired easily, it took them a week to reach Eastcroft instead of a few days.

Eastcroft wasn't a very large village, but it wasn't what Alianna would call small either. The gate into the village looked to be about fifteen feet tall. By the main gate she saw what looked to be an inn.

Alianna and Murtagh very cautiously entered through the gate. A watchmen approached them.

"I don't recognize you two." the watchmen said. "What is your business here?"

Murtagh spoke. "My wife and I are just passing through on our way to visit family. We need a place to stay for the night."

The watchmen looked at them suspiciously, but ultimately pointed to the inn.

Murtagh thanked him and the two of them rode away. Alianna put on her cloak as she did this. It was very unlikely that the people of this village knew she existed. However, Alianna knew that there would be several soldiers around and some of them could know.

Sure enough, as they approached the inn and were leaving their horses in a stable, two soldiers stood nearby.

Quickly, Murtagh moved Alianna over to a side street. The two of them stood there in complete silence as they tried to listen to what the soldiers were saying.

"I don't understand. I thought we were going to Surda. Now they army's been called back? Why is it so important that we find them?"

"Keep your voice down. You know the king has forbidden anyone to speak of this matter. We go into the village, look, and if they're not there we leave. Understand?"

Alianna and Murtagh began to breathe a little easier after the soldiers left. The walked towards the inn's entrance.

Halfway there, Murtagh stopped. He appeared to be deep in thought. Alianna took a few more steps but stopped when she realized Murtagh wasn't waling with her anymore. She turned around and asked him what was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Murtagh exclaimed. "Did you not here what they were saying?"

"Yes."

"The entire army is after us!"

"I know that." Alianna said calmly.

"You're not worried?"

"Of course I am. I don't like this any more than you do. But we don't have a choice. This isn't about us anymore."

Murtagh looked down at her stomach. "You're right."

Alianna told Murtagh that they should just go into the inn, see what they could find out, and rest for the night. Murtagh agreed.

The inn was very crowded. Alianna guessed there were fifty people in the bar alone. They carefully made their way through the crowd until they saw a woman carrying a large pint of ale to a table.

Alianna approached her. "Excuse me? Do you know where we might find the innkeeper?"

The woman pointed to a man in the common room talking to a few guests. The man appeared to be in his early fifties. Alianna and Murtagh went over to him.

"May I help you?" the innkeeper asked.

"My wife and I need a room for the night."

"You're in luck. We have a few rooms left. But I'm warning you, I don't want any trouble. We've had enough of that these past few days."

Alianna assured him that they wouldn't be, but before she could ask him what he meant, the innkeeper motioned for a woman around the same age as him.

"My wife will show you to a room."

Murtagh paid the innkeeper for the room and thanked him.

The room was very small. There wasn't much there except a bed, a table and chairs, and an area to wash. Two candles were on the table.

Murtagh walked over to the table, whispered brisingr, and the small flames from the candles lit up the room. She set a bag containing some of there clothes on the bed.

"I'm going to go downstairs to get some food and see what I can find out. I won't be gone long. Will you be okay?"

Alianna nodded. "Be careful." she said as she kissed him.

After Murtagh left, Alianna unpacked some of their clothes and then sat down on the bed. She thought back to the soldiers they had just seen. So her father had disbanded the entire army and now had many of them searching for her and Murtagh. Obviously he wanted them found as soon as possible. If they were to reach Surda and Alianna told the Varden his secrets, he would be at a huge disadvantage. Still, it would not be easy to defeat him. While she knew many of his secrets, there were some things that even she didn't know. It frustrated Alianna, but she refused to get too stressed out about it. She needed to relax.

Slowly, Alianna layed down on the bed, once again feeling extremely tired. But just as she was about to fall asleep, Murtagh came back carrying a small tray of food. He had a strange expression on his face.

Alianna could sense what was wrong. "Eragon's not here is he?"

Murtagh shook his head no. "I spoke with some men at the bar. He left three days ago."

"Are you sure? Did they say his name?"

"No, but from the description he gave me, I know it was him."

A huge feeling of guilt came over Alianna. This was all her fault. If she hadn't slowed them down, they would've reached Eastcroft sooner and might've found Eragon.

Murtagh tried to assure her that it wasn't her fault. "We'll find him. But lets not think about that right now. Here." He handed Alianna a bowl of soup.

Alianna thanked him and they began to eat. Murtagh asked her if it wasn't enough.

"I can get you more." he offered.

"This is more than enough."

"How's our son?" Murtagh asked.

"He's fine." Alianna said with a smile. "He moves around a lot. He's strong."

"That's good." Murtagh said.

Murtagh seemed to be taking the news of Alianna's pregnancy well.

They finished the rest of their meal in silence. Afterward, Alianna asked if they would be leaving in the morning.

"Yes." Murtagh told her. "We'll have to stop at the market before we leave. We're running low on food."

Alianna nodded and then went to wash up. She splashed some water on her face and changed out of her dress. As she did this, she looked over her shoulder and saw Murtagh staring at her.

"How can you even look at me that way anymore?" she asked.

Alianna was nearing the sixth month of her pregnancy. Her stomach seemed to be getting bigger with each passing day.

"You look beautiful." Murtagh assured her. "Come here."

Alianna blushed as she walked over to Murtagh. And for the rest of the night they forgot about their situation and just enjoyed being together.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alianna and Murtagh woke early the next morning. They packed up their belongings, slipped out of the hotel before anyone could notice, and went towards the market.

Luckily there only seemed to be a few people around. Still, it took much convincing on Alianna's part before Murtagh agreed that they should split up. Alianna would get some food while Murtagh got their horses.

"Stay close." Murtagh said quietly.

"I will." she said.

After a quick kiss, Alianna walked over to look at the various kinds of food. She checked her small pouch which contained all of their money. They would need to make it last as long as they possibly could. She wondered what they would do after the money was gone.

_"We'll figure it out." _Alianna thought.

After wandering around for awhile, Alianna came across some apples. But just as she was about to pick up a few, she felt a hand grab her shoulder and turn her around violently.

"You there!"

Alianna looked up, her eyes widened. There before her stood one of the soldiers they had seen last night.


	34. Chapter 33

**AN: I think this is the fastest I've gotten a new chapter out in a long time lol. I don't know, the ideas all of a sudden came to me and I couldn't stop writing. Hope you all enjoy it :) **

A look of both shock and amazement was all over the soldiers face.

"It's you! I can't believe it. We've been searching for over a week."

Despite being completely terrified, Alianna somehow managed to keep her voice calm. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean sir."

"I think you do. The king told us what to look for- red hair, brown eyes."

The soldier stopped speaking for a moment when he saw Alianna's stomach. "What's this? He never mentioned that you were with child."

"You're mistaken. I'm not who you think I am. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Alianna went to walk away, but the soldier grabbed her arm. Instantly, with her free hand, she reached for her sword only to find that it wasn't there. She quickly remembered and cursed herself for leaving it in one of the bags that Thorn was carrying.

"You're not going anywhere." He called out and the second soldier they had seen last night appeared from one of the side streets.

"Well, what do we have here?"

"You've spent time in Uru'baen. Tell me, is this who I think it is?"

The second soldier looked Alianna over. "Aside from being with child I would say so. Is she wearing a locket?"

"Locket?"

"Yes. She always wears a silver locket with a sapphire gem on it."

Before Alianna could react, the first soldier yanked on the string of her cloak, causing it to fall off and reveal her locket.

Alianna was coming very close to using magic. But before she did she would try to talk her way out of it.

"I know things must be difficult for you both." she said. "The king forcing you to travel like this and be away from your families. If you let me go I'll give you whatever you want."

The second soldier laughed. "I doubt that. You see, the king is offering a rather large reward for whoever brings you and Murtagh in. Speaking of Murtagh, where is he? Surely you're traveling together."

Alianna lied and said she didn't know where Murtagh was.

"Don't make this any more difficult. I'll ask you again. Where is he?"

Before Alianna could speak again she heard a familiar voice.

"Right here!"

Murtagh appeared out of nowhere and stabbed the second soldier in the back with his sword. As he was finishing killing him, Alianna could see the first soldier about to attack.

"Murtagh!" she yelled.

The soldier slammed his elbow into Alianna's mouth, causing her to stumble backward. Alianna quickly got up, ignoring the throbbing pain coming from her lip. The soldier was charging at Murtagh and she knew she only had seconds to stop him. Scanning the ground for any kind of weapon, Alianna found a rock and slammed it into his head.

The soldier slumped to the ground. Alianna stood there for a few seconds until Murtagh helped her onto her horse and shouted at her to go, saying he would be right behind her.

They quickly rode past all of the villagers who had come out of their house to see what was going on. As they were nearing the gate, Alianna could see a group of soldiers beginning to close it. Alianna looked back at Murtagh, who told her to keep going. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

_"We're never going to make it!" _she thought.

But somehow they did. The galloped through the gate only seconds before it closed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alianna and Murtagh rode for hours. Finally at nightfall they met up with Thorn in a secluded area. Thorn assured them that they hadn't been followed.

Murtagh got off of his horse and walked over to Alianna, asking her if she was alright.

"I'm fine." she told him.

But as he helped Alianna down, she felt something trickling down her mouth. She winced in pain as she touched her lower lip.

Murtagh looked at her more closely. "You're not fine! Your lip is split open."

Alianna couldn't believe it. She knew that the one soldier had elbowed her in the mouth and remembered the pain afterward. But with everything going on she hadn't had time to check.

Alianna tried to tell Murtagh that it wasn't as bad as it looked. He didn't believe her.

"I can fix it." he offered.

Alianna nodded as Murtagh said the words and almost instantly her lip was healed. She thanked him as she wiped the blood off of her face.

"The baby…" Murtagh said.

"He's fine." She had felt the baby moving around just moments ago.

But despite this assurance, Alianna saw that Murtagh was visibly shaken by everything that had just happened.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Murtagh shook his head. "I never should have left you alone. Why did I listen to you?"

"I'm sorry." Alianna said. "They came out of nowhere. I swear I…"

Murtagh interrupted her. "You could've been captured."

"But I wasn't."

"But you were seen! We both were. Galbatorix will figure out where we're going. He'll know you're pregnant."

"What are we going to do?" Alianna asked.

"We'll have to stay off the main roads and avoid any villages. Atleast for the time being."

"What about our food supply? You said it was running low."

"I can hunt until it's safe enough for us to go into a village. You still have our money right?"

Alianna nodded but when she reached into her pocket the pouch with their money was gone.

"Oh no." she said.

"What is it?"

"The money. It must've fallen out of my pocket during the fight."

Alianna could tell that Murtagh was angry, but he was trying not to show it.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"We can't do anything about it now. What's done is done."

"How long will our food last?"

Murtagh guessed two days, maybe three. "Whatever food we have it yours. You need it more than I do."

Alianna rolled her eyes. "You're being ridiculous. You need to eat too."

Murtagh finally agreed to go hunting. "Thorn will stay with you while I'm gone."

"What do you mean?"

"From now on either myself or Thorn will stay with you at all times. I'm not leaving you alone again."

Alianna protested. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

"Really? Then why did I have to step in when those soldiers almost captured you? If I wasn't here you'd have no idea which way to go. You'd be lost!"

Alianna could feel the anger inside of her rise. "How dare you! You know this is the first time I've ever been outside of Uru'baen. I'd help you if I could. Why are you being like this?"

"Because you…"

Thorn, who had been trying not to interfere, suddenly let out a loud growl and spoke to the both of them.

_Enough! Fighting like this won't help us at all._

Thorn turned his head towards Murtagh.

_Why don't you go and hunt? I spotted a heard_ _of deer not far from here._

Murtagh tried to say no, but Thorn insisted.

_The two of you need some time apart to calm down. I don't want you to say anything you'll regret. I'll look after Alianna. I promise._

Murtagh nodded in agreement, but then glared at Alianna. Alianna glared right back at him.

As Alianna watched Murtagh walk away, she felt the baby give her a strong kick in the ribs.

"Oww!" Alianna said as she rubbed her stomach.

She spoke out loud to her son, not caring if Murtagh heard her.

"Don't worry. Your father isn't always like this."


	35. Chapter 34

**AN: I had hoped to have this chapter up by Valentine's Day but yeah, that didn't happen. Due to a family emergency, I didn't have the time or energy to write. My Grandpa was in the hospital for awhile. But don't worry, everything is fine now. He's home and doing really well. Now that everything is back to normal, I can try to focus on my writing. I apologize for this chapter being so short, but it'll have to do for now. I promise the next one will be longer. Hope you enjoy :)**

Alianna had gathered some wood and started a small fire. Thorn watched her the whole time but said nothing. She then sat down to eat and thought about everything that had just happened. All this time she thought everything would be okay. Now she wasn't so sure. They had no money, little food, and were about as close to finding Eragon as they were at the start of their journey. Between that and her fight with Murtagh, things were not looking very good at the moment.

Alianna looked up at Thorn.

_Was I wrong?_

_No you weren't. But neither was Murtagh._

_He makes me so angry sometimes._

_He loves you very much._

_I know._

_You have no idea of the tortures Galbatorix put him through during our training. I begged him to stop. That we'd find a way out. But he refused. He didn't want Galbatorix to make good on his threat to hurt you._

Alianna nodded. She had seen some of what Galbatorix had done to Murtagh, but she did not know the full extent of it. She began to feel horrible.

Thorn continued.

_Murtagh has his own way of dealing with things. Deep down he knows you can handle any situation on your own. But there's something you must understand- if something were to happen to you or the child you're carrying, he would never be able to forgive himself. Neither would I._

Alianna decided to apologize when Murtagh returned. They had both acted foolishly. They should be working together to protect their son. The last thing they needed to do was fight.

She tried to stay up, but another wave of exhaustion fell over her. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the soft grass.

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Alianna woke up several hours later. The sun was just beginning to rise. She felt warmer than she had when she fell asleep and noticed that someone had covered her in a blanket. She sat up and saw Murtagh sitting nearby.

"How long have you been up?"

"Awhile." Murtagh told her.

Alianna thanked him for the blanket.

Murtagh shrugged. "You looked cold."

There was an awkward silence, and then Alianna and Murtagh both apologized to each other at the same time. They smiled and then Alianna spoke.

"You were right. We never should have separated. But the way you reacted made me feel like a child."

"I was scared." Murtagh admitted. "If those soldiers had captured you…" He paused for a moment. "I can't go through that again."

Alianna understood and tried to assure Murtagh that that wouldn't happen again.

"There's something I don't understand." Murtagh said.

"What?"

"You should have left when I was fighting those soldiers. Why did you get involved?"

"They could have killed you! I had to do something." She paused when she saw the look on Murtagh's face. As if she knew what he was thinking, Alianna said. "Murtagh, I'm alright. I would never do anything that would put our son's life at risk."

Murtagh knew she wouldn't. He leaned forward and kissed her. "I love you."

Alianna told him that she loved him too. She then decided to change the subject. "How did the hunt go?"

Murtagh smiled. "Very well. We should have enough meat to last us several days."

Alianna was glad of this and began preparing them some breakfast. As they ate, they looked over the map. They were trying to figure out where Eragon might be at the moment, based on where he had been seen. Was he heading back to Surda? It certainly looked that way. Even if it were true, it would be impossible to go. They were going to need a place to hide until things settled down and they could resume the search. Murtagh suggested that they head east, cross Tudosten Lake and hide in Silverwood Forest.

"Will it be safe for us there?" Alianna asked.

"Nowhere is safe." Murtagh told her. "But I don't think Galbatorix will look for us there. Most likely he'll send his soldiers through the cities and villages nearby."

Alianna was a little skeptical. But Murtagh assured her that this plan would work. And if for some reason it didn't, then he would think of something else.

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It took them over two weeks to reach Silverwood Forest. Crossing the Tudosten Lake had been difficult. During that time, Murtagh's nineteenth birthday came and went. Alianna had wanted to do something to celebrate, however small it might be. But Murtagh didn't want any part of it.

They arrived at the forest late one night. As they made camp, Alianna could see that this was a peaceful place. It was very quiet and secluded. After a quick dinner, Alianna grew tired and decided to lay down. Murtagh seemed concerned, but Alianna told him that she was alright. That all the traveling had simply worn her out. She was asleep within minutes.

_The nightmare began replaying in her head again. This time however, after the man had murdered the woman, the scenery began moving faster and faster. It was if someone was running. She heard a loud scream, different from the woman's, and then everything went black. _


	36. Chapter 35

**AN: I actually had most of this chapter finished back in late August, but for some reason I couldn't figure out how to end it until now. Hope you enjoy it :) Reviews are appreciated.**

"Alianna! Alianna wake up!"

Alianna, half asleep, could feel someone shaking her. Instinctively, she reached to her side and pulled out her sword. But she put it down when she saw that it was Murtagh who had woken her up.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"You don't have to apologize." Murtagh told her. "What happened? It was the nightmare again wasn't it?"

She told him that it was.

"I heard someone else screaming this time though."

"Did you recognize it?"

Alianna thought the scream sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't remember. She was getting more frustrated each time she had the nightmare.

"Perhaps once we get to Surda, someone there will know what it means." Murtagh suggested.

Alianna wasn't so sure, but she nodded in agreement. "First we need to worry about getting out of here."

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After more than two weeks of hiding out in the forest, Murtagh figured it was safe enough for him to go into the nearest village and see what, if any, information he could find out.

Murtagh insisted once again on going alone. While Alianna understood his reasoning, neither she nor Thorn liked the idea.

"I'll only be gone for a day." Murtagh told her.

They kissed each other goodbye. Thorn could see the worried look on Alianna's face as Murtagh rode off on his horse. He tried to make her feel better by assuring her that Murtagh would be alright.

_I'll be able to sense if he's in danger._

Alianna nodded and went to get something to eat.

The day passed by rather uneventfully. Alianna swam, wrote in her journal, and talked to Thorn. Anything to distract her from worrying about Murtagh.

Then that night, when Murtagh was due back, Alianna was gathering some branches to start a fire. Suddenly she heard a noise in the distance. It sounded like footsteps.

Thorn let out a low growl.

Alianna spoke to him. _Perhaps it's just Murtagh?_

_It's not. I can sense it. _

Alianna began to panic a little. Had they been discovered? She got out her sword and stood near Thorn.

Thorn thought Alianna should stay behind him.

_It sounds like only one person. _Alianna said. _I'll be alright. Just stay close. _

_Of course. _

Alianna held onto her sword tightly as she heard the footsteps coming closer.

Out of the forest came a man who appeared to be around Alianna's age, maybe a year or so younger.

"Who are you?" Alianna demanded.

"I was about to ask you the same question."

Alianna looked him over. He didn't appear to be a soldier. He was dressed in regular clothes that were worn from travel.

"Have you been following us? Did Galbatorix send you?"

"No. I'm just…" the man looked up at Thorn. "How did you come across this dragon? Are you a Rider?"

"No."

"I don't believe you! How else do you explain the dragon?"

He went to grab her hand to look for the mark, but Alianna was quick and slammed the end of her sword into the side of his head. The man stumbled for a few seconds, then got back on his feet. Blood was trickling down his face.

Thorn let out a growl so loud that the trees seemed to shake.

_Touch her again and you'll lose a limb!_

The man backed away.

Thorn turned his attention to Alianna. _Murtagh is near. I told him what happened. He'll be here shortly. _

Alianna nodded. Suddenly, she could feel someone trying to get inside her mind. She looked over at the man, who was staring at her intently.

"You're wasting your time." she said.

The man looked at her in amazement. But before he could say anything, Alianna saw Murtagh's horse out of the corner of her eye. Murtagh got off his horse and ran over to the man, tackling him to the ground.

Eventually the man got up and looked at Murtagh closely. A look of shock came over his face.

"Murtagh?"

Alianna was confused. She asked Murtagh if he knew him.

Murtagh took a few steps closer to the man. As he did this his eyes grew wide. "Yes. This… is Eragon."

Alianna couldn't believe it at first. For weeks they had been searching and then suddenly she comes across him by accident.

It finally hit her that this was Eragon and realized what she had just done. She apologized profusely.

"I never would have done that if I had known."

"It's alright." Eragon said. "I've been through much worse. So, will you finally tell me who you are?"

"Of course. I'm Alianna."

"You obviously know Murtagh."

"He's my husband."

"Husband?" Eragon turned to Murtagh. "You never mentioned anything about having a wife!"

Before Murtagh could reply, Eragon noticed the mark on Murtagh's hand. "You're a Rider! But how?"

Alianna looked at the two of them and then spoke to Eragon. "We have much to tell you. But first, we should rest. We don't have much food, but you're welcome to it."

Eragon thanked both of them.

A few minutes later, Murtagh started a fire. Alianna got some dried meat for all of them.

With the fire glowing brightly, Alianna took a really good look at Eragon for the first time and was surprised. She could see he looked mostly human, but had several features of an elf. Glancing over at Murtagh, Alianna could tell he was just as confused as she was.

"What is it?" Eragon asked them.

"You look different since the last time I saw you." Murtagh replied. "What happened?"

Eragon began to speak about his time in Ellesmera, his training with the elves, and the Blood Oath celebration. Alianna could sense, however, that he was not telling them everything. The stories lasted for more than an hour. Alianna listened in fascination.

"There are some things I'd like to know now." Eragon said when he was done. He turned to Murtagh. "First of all, why didn't you tell me you were married? In all the months we were traveling, not once did you mention Alianna's name."

"When I told you that my family was slaughtered by the king's men, I believed it to be true." Murtagh explained. He then proceeded to tell Eragon about their first attempt to escape from Uru'baen. "It wasn't until I was captured by the Twins and brought back did I find out that Alianna was alive. And the reason I never spoke of it was… it was too difficult as you can imagine."

Eragon seemed to understand. Murtagh spent the next several hours explaining what had happened to him when he was captured, his dealings with Galbatorix, and how he eventually became a Rider.

"So that's why the army was called back." Eragon said. "That's why there have been soldiers all over the villages in a panic. They're looking for the two of you."

"Yes." Murtagh replied.

"How did you escape? And why now?"

Alianna spoke up. "I would think it was obvious." She looked down at her stomach. "We couldn't let our child grow up around Galbatorix. So we left. We've been on the run for more than two months."

Eragon seemed surprised. "Two months? Why not go to the Varden for help? You could have reached Surda weeks ago."

"We wanted to find you first. From what Murtagh has told me, there are some in the Varden that still don't trust him. We thought that if we came there with you, they might be more accepting. Will you help us?"

Eragon thought for a moment. "I'm not sure how they will react, but I'll do what I can."

Alianna breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you! This means a lot to us."

"It's the least I can do." Eragon said. He then looked at Murtagh. "You saved my life on more than one occasion."

They all agreed to depart for Surda the next day. It would probably take a few more weeks to reach there. The journey would be difficult, but Alianna knew they could do it.

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Alianna was finishing packing up their belongings when Eragon approached her.

"Would you like some help?" he asked.

She was a bit reluctant at first, but ultimately Alianna said yes.

"Thank you."

But when Eragon went to put some supplies in a bag attached to Thorn's saddle, Thorn growled at him.

Eragon took several steps back, while Alianna moved closer.

_Thorn! It's alright. He's trying to help._

Thorn did not respond. Instead he kept a close eye on Eragon.

"What is it?" Eragon asked.

"He's still angry about what happened earlier."

"I apologized!"

"I know. But Thorn is very… protective."

"I can tell."

"Give it some time. I'm sure the two of you will get along eventually."

Thorn finally spoke to her. _Not likely._

_You have to. We need Eragon in order to get into Surda. Without him, the Varden won't trust us. Please?_

_I will try. But only for the sake of Murtagh and yourself._

When they were done, Alianna could feel her back beginning to ache. Carrying all that extra weight was taking its toll. But she knew it was worth it.

"How far along are you?" Eragon asked. She hadn't realized that he had been watching her.

Still, she answered him. "A little more than seven months."

"It must be hard for you. All this traveling I mean."

Alianna admitted that it was, but it didn't matter. She would do whatever it took to keep her baby safe and to see that Galbatorix was overthrown.

"You know Galbatorix well?"

Alianna couldn't help but smirk. "I suppose you could say that."

"And how long have you known Murtagh?"

Before Alianna could answer, Eragon spoke again. "Forgive me. There's just so much I want to know."

Alianna understood. "We'll answer all of your questions. I promise. As far as Murtagh, I've known him for about sixteen years. I was two and he was three when we first met. Our… fathers arranged the marriage."

Eragon looked surprised. "Your father knew Morzan? Did you ever meet him?"

"Only a few times thankfully. He was a cruel man. I was very young when he died so I don't remember much."

Eragon shook his head and told her he couldn't imagine having a father like that.

_"If only you knew the truth." _Alianna thought. But she didn't tell him. She felt it only right that Murtagh be the one to do it.

Wanting to change the subject, Alianna said that they should get some sleep. She began to walk away, but Eragon spoke again.

"Wait, there's one more thing." he said.

Alianna was curious. "What is it?"

"We've never met before, have we?"

"Of course not." she told him. "I've never been outside of Uru'baen until recently."

"I know. But I must admit, you seem familiar somehow."

Alianna panicked, but she did her best to hide it from Eragon. There was no way he could know who she was. He had never met Galbatorix and she knew she bore no resemblance to the king.

This was not how Alianna planned it. While she was going to tell Eragon the truth eventually, she had hoped to get to know him and gain his trust first.

She had to get away. "If you'll excuse me, I'm very tired. Good night."

She walked away quickly. Eragon called after her.

"Alianna, wait."

"Good night Eragon!"


	37. Chapter 36

**AN: This month Broken turns 5 years old! I can't beleive it. It doesn't seem like that long ago I was driving home from seeing the Eragon movie opening night and the idea for this story just popped into my head. I want to take this time and thank all of my readers. You guys mean the world to me. Thanks for sticking with this story for so long :)**

**One more thing. I've got a little question for you guys. Mainly because I'm bored, but also because I'm curious- If Broken were ever made into a movie (which would be awesome but obviously won't happen lol) which actors/actresses would you cast & for what part? I already have certain actors/actresses I picture as I'm writing, but I'm always interested in hearing how other people see my characters :)**

The next morning, Alianna, Murtagh, Eragon, and Thorn were getting ready to leave. But before they did, Alianna took Murtagh aside and asked him if he'd had a chance to tell Eragon about the two of them being brothers. Murtagh admitted that he hadn't He thought that Eragon had a lot to take in already and wanted to wait until they made their next stop to tell him.

Alianna understood Murtagh's reasoning, but she still thought he should tell him right away.

"Tell me what?" Eragon asked as he approached them.

Murtagh glanced at Alianna, then at Eragon and said. "We should get going."

Alianna and Murtagh prepared their horses. While they did this, Eragon looked at them strangely.

"I don't understand. Why can't we just ride on Thorn? We could reach Surda much sooner."

Murtagh explained to him that despite his size, Thorn was still very young and was not quite strong enough to carry that many people in addition to their supplies.

Alianna chimed in. "Plus, I don't know if I could handle it. The last time I rode on Thorn… let's just say it did not go well."

Eragon nodded. "I understand. I remember the first time I rode Saphira. It takes some getting use to."

When Eragon finished talking, Murtagh helped Alianna onto her horse and then climbed onto his own. After going over their travel plans for the day one last time, they all departed. Thorn had taken off a few minutes before them.

Despite not having a horse or Saphira, both of whom were back in Surda, Eragon assured Alianna and Murtagh that he could keep up. Apparently he had been even the speed of an elf, in addition to everything else he received during the blood oath celebration.

"_If only we were all so lucky." _Alianna thought.

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The three of them traveled for hours, stopping only to rest the horses and eat. By late afternoon they made camp just outside the village of Furnost.

As Alianna got off of her horse, a few dull pains shot up her bad leg. She winced, which did not go unnoticed by Murtagh and Eragon. She told them both that she was fine, but they weren't convinced.

"You should have waited until I could help you off of her." Murtagh said. His voice was filled with concern.

"You worry too much." Alianna replied as she sat down on a blanket that Murtagh had laid out. Murtagh sat down next to her.

Eragon walked over. "I couldn't help but notice you limping ever since we first met. Are you alright? What happened?"

Alianna couldn't help but notice the look Murtagh gave Eragon. It was as if to warn him not to continue these questions any further.

"Murtagh, it's fine." Alianna said softly. She looked up at Eragon and began to tell him about how, on the night her and Murtagh had tried to escape the first time, she had fallen off her horse while she was being captured.

Alianna had come a long way since then. While she still walked with a slight limp, the pain only occurred now every so often.

"Perhaps I could help." Eragon told her.

Alianna thanked him for his offer, but told him it wouldn't do much good. Murtagh had tried several times to heal her leg, but all he had been able to do was reduce the pain for a couple of hours.

"At least let me try."

Alianna could tell Eragon was concerned as well. Maybe he still felt bad about what had happened between them the night before. This might be his way of making it up to her. She finally gave in and told him yes.

Eragon sat down next to Alianna and began to mutter some words in the ancient language. Most of which she recognized, but a few words were new to her.

After a few minutes, Eragon stopped and asked her if it worked. Alianna could no longer feel the pain, but she didn't want to get her hopes up. She stood on her feet and began taking a few steps. Sure enough, she was still limping.

Alianna could see the disappointed look on Eragon's face. "It's alright. I appreciate that you tried. It means a lot."

"I thought it would work." Maybe once we get to Surda, someone in the Varden will be able to help."

"They might. And even if they can't, it doesn't matter. This is just a part of who I am."

Eragon nodded, seeming to understand. He went over and helped Murtagh set up a few things.

Alianna decided that now would be a good time to go down to the river and wash some of their clothes. It had been awhile, plus it would give Murtagh and Eragon time to talk alone. She exchanged a quick glance with Murtagh as she walked away with a pile of clothes in her arms. A minute later, she could hear his voice coming from behind her.

"Eragon, there's something I need to tell you."

_Please let this go well._

Alianna finally reached the river and began washing the clothes. As usual, Thorn was hovering nearby. The task was simple, but it kept Alianna busy for a while. It helped take her mind off things.

Just as she was finishing up, she heard shouting from a distance. Thorn let out a low growl.

_Thor, what is it?_

_ Murtagh just told him._

_ So much for things going well._

Alianna got up and made her way back to camp. The clothes she could get later. Right now all that mattered was getting to Murtagh and Eragon. All the way there she hoped that they weren't saying or doing something that they would regret later.

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"No, it can't be true!" Eragon exclaimed.

As she approached them, Alianna could see the look on Eragon's face. It wasn't exactly what she would call angry, but a mixture of both shock and disbelief.

Murtagh warned her to stay back. Alianna knew that Eragon probably wouldn't hurt her, but she also knew that Murtagh didn't want to take any chances.

"You're lying Murtagh."

Murtagh repeated what he had said, only this time in the ancient language. He told Eragon that his mother was Selena as well. Galbatorix had made the connection after the Twins had revealed to him what they had found when they read Eragon's mind.

Only after all this did Eragon finally believe Murtagh.

"So that means…" Eragon said, he seemed to be afraid to finish the sentence.

Murtagh finished it for him. "Morzan is my father as well as yours."

Eragon sat down on the ground, trying to take everything in.

Murtagh walked over to him and smiled slightly. "I told you we were alike."

"That's not true!" Eragon replied. "I don't have that scar on my back anymore."

Alianna did not know whether or not Eragon meant to be hurtful with what he said. She looked at Murtagh and could tell, even though he would never admit it, he was upset.

_How dare he! _Alianna thought.

Eragon had been lucky enough to be healed magically. Murtagh still had his scar and while it had gotten better over the years, Alianna knew that it still pained him from time to time. It was on the tip of her tongue to say something to Eragon, but she didn't.

Realizing that they all needed some time to cool down, Alianna suggested that Murtagh walk down with her to the river to get their clothes. Murtagh wasn't sure at first, but he ultimately agreed.

"We won't be gone long." Alianna told Eragon.

Eragon wouldn't speak or look at them, he simply nodded his head.

As Alianna and Murtagh walked away, Alianna glanced back quickly and then spoke. "Is he angry?"

"At us?" Murtagh asked. "I can't get into his mind. But from what I can tell, no."

"Do you think he'll leave?" All this time Alianna thought that their plan might work. Now she wasn't sure.

"Alianna, he promised he would help us. We're his family. He just needs some time to process this. Imagine if you were him."

He had a point. Alianna didn't know how she would react if she found out news as big as that.

It didn't take them long to reach the river and retrieve their clothes. When Alianna and Murtagh got back to camp, Eragon still did not speak to them. This lasted for the rest of the day.

It wasn't until the next morning that Eragon finally broke his silence. Alianna had woken up early, before Murtagh even, and found him with what appeared to be some sort of puzzle made up of small rings. He put it down when he saw Alianna approaching.

"Did I wake you?" he asked.

"You didn't." Alianna replied as she sat down next to him. "I see you're talking again."

"Yes. I want to apologize for last night. How I reacted, what I said… I didn't mean it."

"I know you didn't. I probably would've reacted the same way."

"Morzan's my father. I just can't believe that…"

"That his blood runs through your veins?"

"Exactly."

"I can relate. You and Murtagh aren't the only ones with an evil father."

"I doubt he was as evil as Morzan."

Alianna thought for a moment. She had to choose her words carefully. "You're right. He's not as evil. He's worse."

"Is? You mean he's still alive?"

"Very much so."

"Does he work for Galbatorix?"

"No."

Alianna began to feel a little bad. But it wasn't as if she was lying to Eragon. She was telling him the truth. She just chose to leave certain details out for the time being.


	38. Chapter 37

Murtagh woke up a few minutes later and joined Alianna and Eragon. "Is everything alright?"

Eragon told him that it was. He apologized once more for how he reacted the night before. Murtagh accepted his apology and the two of them talked for a few minutes.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Eragon asked.

Alianna and Murtagh gave each other a quick glance before Murtagh replied. "There's nothing else I need to tell you."

Eragon eyed them suspiciously, but didn't question any further. Instead, to lighten the mood he said. "I suppose it'll be nice having another brother." He turned and looked at Alianna. "And a sister as well."

Alianna smiled. "And soon you'll be an uncle."

Everything seemed to be going well at the moment, which Alianna was grateful for. A few minutes later they were eating breakfast and going over the map. Alianna knew that they would need to go into Furnost at some point that day to get supplies. Given what happened the last time they were in a village, she was obviously nervous. But it needed to be done.

By late morning they arrived in Furnost. Hidden under her cloak, Alianna scanned through the village to make sure none of the king's soldiers were around. Surprisingly, she couldn't find any. Alianna knew better though. She knew Galbatorix had well placed spies all throughout Alagaesia. She kept her guard up.

About half a mile into town was the market. Eragon suggested that they stock up on food since they didn't know how long it would be until they passed through another village. While it was a good idea, Alianna and Murtagh explained to him what had happened in Eastcroft and how the bag containing all of their money had fallen out of her pocket during the struggle. Eragon assured them that this wasn't a problem. He had some money of his own and would gladly help out with whatever he could. Alianna didn't feel right about it, but Eragon kept insisting until she agreed.

"That's very kind of you." She said as Eragon handed her some money.

While Alianna and Murtagh went to buy some food, Eragon walked a little further ahead trying to hear whatever news he could.

While they had enjoyed Eragon's company for the most part, Alianna was happy to be alone with Murtagh again, even if it was only for a few minutes. She was also grateful that the market was not too crowded that day.

"I wonder where the soldiers are." Alianna said quietly as she looked over some loaves of bread.

"It does seem rather strange." Murtagh answered.

They ended up buying several loaves of bread, fruit, vegetables, and some dried meat. It was enough to last them more than a week if they were careful.

As they left the market to meet back up with Eragon, Alianna tore off a small piece of bread from one of the loafs. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was. She ate it quickly, a small moan escaping from her lips. It had been awhile since she'd eaten bread. For the last few weeks they had been living on mostly dried meat and the occasional berries.

Alianna then looked over at Murtagh, who was giving her a strange look. It was a look she knew well.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Murtagh told her he wished things could be easier, especially for her sake. He hated that he couldn't provide enough for her.

Alianna tried to assure him that she was fine. "We're doing the best we can. I knew this wasn't going to be easy. It'll all be…"

She stopped when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw what appeared to be an older man begging on one of the nearby streets. But after looking at him more closely, Alianna began to panic.

Murtagh looked in the same direction she was. "What is it?"

"That man over there" Alianna began. "Is one of the king's spies."

"Are you sure? I don't think I've seen before."

"He must have altered his appearance."

The man Alianna knew as one of the king's spies was actually in his late thirties. She wouldn't have recognized him had it not been for his bright green eyes and the long scar that went diagonally down his face.

Murtagh quickly moved them out of view from the man. "Did he see us?"

Alianna shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Still, we need to find Eragon and get out of here as quickly as possible."

It didn't take them long to find him. Eragon was standing right near the local tavern. Alianna and Murtagh quickly rushed over.

Before Eragon could ask them what was wrong, Murtagh spoke. "We have to leave. Now."

"Why?" Eragon asked.

"One of the king's spies is here." Alianna replied.

"How do you know?"

"I just do. I'll explain everything to you later."

They moved quickly and retrieved their horses. As they rode out of the village, Alianna kept looking over her shoulder. To her relief, the spy did not appear to be following them.

They rode for an hour or so. When they were sure it was safe enough, they stopped to discuss what the next step would be.

"Is this going to happen every time we go into a village?" Alianna joked.

Murtagh didn't think it was funny. "We should have taken more precautions. It was foolish of me to think we could go through there unnoticed."

Alianna saw how serious he looked and started to feel bad. She was just trying to ease the tension. The truth was she was terrified.

In a calm voice she asked Murtagh what he thought they should do.

"I have an idea. It's actually something you said."

"Me? What do you mean?"

"You said that he must have altered his appearance."

"What does that have to do with us?"

"We could alter our appearances whenever we need to pass through a village. I don't know why I didn't think of it before."

"Can you do that?" Alianna asked. She knew that Murtagh, as a Rider, had been trained in all sorts of magic, but she did not know to what extent.

Murtagh assured her that he could. Eragon thought it was a good idea and offered to help if they needed it. He himself wouldn't need to do anything about his appearance since he already looked much different than the pictures on the wanted posters.

Suddenly, Alianna could hear Thorn roaring loudly from up above and he flew down to them quickly.

Soldiers? How was that possible? That hadn't come across any in Furnost. Alianna then realized that the spy must have seen them after all and informed Galbatorix. She tried quickly to come up with a plan as far as what they should do, but she was drawing a blank.

Murtagh asked Thorn how far away the soldiers were.

_An hour at the most._

Murtagh thought for a moment, then turned and spoke to Alianna. "I know it's not your favorite means of transportation, but we're going to have to fly. We need to get as much distance between us and the soldiers as possible."

"What about the horses?" Alianna asked. She didn't want to leave them behind. She had had her horse Bella for years and cared for her very much.

Alianna also worried about Thorn having to carry three people. While he was very strong, she knew that carrying them in addition to their supplies would be too much for him.

Eragon interrupted them. "Murtagh, you go with Alianna. I'll take the horses and meet up with you."

Murtagh began to speak. "Are you sure?"

Eragon told him that he was. He said he knew of an area just outside of Melian. He would meet them there as soon as he could. No sooner did he say that then he got on Murtagh's horse, held Bella's reins, and took off.

_We must go!_

Murtagh helped Alianna onto Thorn, which was not an easy task given that she was well into the seventh month of her pregnancy, before getting on himself. Alianna held onto Murtagh's waist tightly, closed her eyes, and braced herself for what was sure to be another interesting experience.

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Much to her surprise, Alianna did not feel as nauseous as she did the last time she had flown on Thorn. Due to the high altitude she found herself shivering again, but she could deal with that. Murtagh looked back every so often to make sure she was okay. Other than that he remained focused.

_I wonder if I'll ever be as comfortable at flying as Murtagh is. _Alianna thought.

They flew for several hours, finally stopping around nightfall. The area outside of Melian was mostly open land, with very little wooded area. This worried Alianna some since it would make it easier for them to be seen. But it was the best they could do. It wasn't as if they would be staying there long anyway.

Alianna unpacked a few things while Murtagh started a small fire. Once everything was settled, they ate some dinner and looked over the map. From what Alianna could see, they were only a week or two from reaching Surda. That meant she had only two weeks at the most to get Eragon to completely trust her and reveal to him who she really was. That had been the plan. Her plan. She had assured herself that it would work, but now that time was running out, she felt a little afraid. Alianna had seen how Eragon had reacted when Murtagh had told him that the two of them were brothers. She could only imagine how he was going to react when he found out that Galbatorix was her father.

_At least I have another two or three days to think things over. _Alianna thought.

That was about how long they figured it would take for Eragon to reach them, barring any trouble.

The rest of the evening went by rather uneventfully. Alianna and Murtagh mostly talked about the baby and how the whole pregnancy in general was going. She was feeling much better lately, although carrying all that extra weight made her back sore from time to time. Murtagh kept assuring her that she looked great, and while she appreciated his kindness, Alianna didn't agree with him.

They also discussed what their baby's name should be. Alianna had a few ideas, but there was no one name that stuck with her yet. The truth was they had been so busy running from soldiers and wondering where their next meal would come from that they hadn't had much time to think about it.

"What if we name him after you?" Alianna suggested.

Murtagh strongly disagreed. He felt that their son should have his own name. Alianna understood his reasoning, but still liked the idea. She decided to compromise- their son wouldn't be named after Murtagh, but would start with the letter M. Murtagh seemed to be okay with this.

Eventually, all the hours they spent traveling caught up with them. Thorn took the first shift guarding their camp site while Alianna snuggled into Murtagh and the two of them slowly drifted off to sleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A little more than two days later, Eragon arrived. He appeared to be tired but was in good condition otherwise. So were the horses, which Alianna brushed and fed while Murtagh spoke with Eragon.

"Were you followed?" Murtagh asked.

Eragon told him that he wasn't. The two of them then planned what their next step would be, which Alianna could hear from where she was standing.

Eragon thought it best if he went into Melian alone tomorrow. He would make sure everything was safe first before they all passed through together. But Murtagh insisted on going with him in case there was an attack. Alianna could tell from the way Murtagh looked at her that while he knew this was necessary, he hated leaving her alone. Even if it was only for a few hours. But knowing that Thorn would be there to protect her made him feel a little better about it.

"When will you go?" Alianna asked.

"Tomorrow morning." Murtagh replied.

"Well, I guess we should get some rest then."

The three of them ate mostly in silence. Then, since none of them were tired enough to sleep just yet, Eragon suggested to Murtagh that the two of them spar for awhile. Murtagh wasn't so sure, but Alianna told him that he should. It would take his mind off things.

"Alright." Murtagh said with a slight smirk. He pulled out his sword and then turned to Eragon. "Lets see if you've improved any since the last time we did this."

Alianna walked over to Thorn and sat down.

_This should be interesting. _She said to him with a smile.

That smile quickly faded when Eragon took out his sword from his bag.

Zar'roc.

Alianna recognized it immediately. The red blade. The ruby in the pummel. She had obviously heard of the sword before and even vaguely remembered Murtagh telling her that Eragon had it. But this was the first time Eragon had taken it out and for some reason as Alianna stared at it, she became paralyzed with fear. She couldn't even cry or speak, not even when Thorn asked her if she was alright. Thorn must have alerted Murtagh because the next thing she knew, he dropped his sword and was at her side.

It was only when Murtagh shook her gently did she finally come back to reality.

"Alianna are you alright?" Murtagh asked frantically. "Is something wrong with the baby?"

Somehow, Alianna managed to answer him. "No, he's fine."

"Then what is it?"

"That sword." Alianna said, looking towards Eragon.

"Zar'roc? What about it?"

"Something about it seems familiar. I don't know what it is."

Eragon took a few steps forward. "If I upset you in any way, I'm sorry. I know this sword once belonged to Morzan and he did many horrible things with it. But Brom gave it to me and it's the only sword I have at the moment."

"That's not it. This has nothing to do with you."

"Then what does it have to do with? Why are you…"

"Back off!" Murtagh said. He turned his attention back to Alianna and held her in his arms. "It's going to be okay."

Alianna stood up quickly. Tears began forming in her eyes. "No, it's not going to be okay. I'm tired of this!"

And she really was. She was tired of all the nightmares. Of being confused. But most of all, she was tired of knowing there was something buried deep within her that was important and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember what it was.


	39. Chapter 38

The three of them sat and talked once things had settled down and Alianna was feeling better. She told Eragon, in detail, about the nightmares that had plagued her.

"How long have you had them?" Eragon asked.

"For as long as I can remember." she told him. "They use to happen only once in a while, but over the last year or so, I've had them almost every night. It's usually the same one too."

Alianna asked Eragon if the place she described in her nightmare was familiar to him, but he said he wasn't sure.

"It sounds like a number of places in Alagaesia. I'm sorry. I wish I could be more help."

"It's okay."

Eragon said that he knew of someone that might be able to help her once they reached Surda. He wouldn't say much other than her name was Angela.

Eventually, they became too exhausted to speak anymore. They would just have to deal with all of this another time. Alianna was asleep within a few minutes, laying as close to Murtagh as she could possibly get.

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The next morning, as Murtagh and Eragon were preparing for their trip to Melian, Murtagh was still worried about leaving Alianna alone.

"It's okay." She assured him.

"If you need me to stay I will." Murtagh said.

Of course Alianna wanted him to stay, but she knew he had to go with Eragon. She told him that she and Thorn would be fine. After all, they would only be gone for a few hours. What could possibly go wrong?

After giving Alianna a quick kiss and telling her that he loved her, Murtagh and Eragon took off.

Alianna did everything she could think of over the next few hours in order to keep herself from worrying. But the only thing that seemed to work, for a while anyway, was writing in her journal. Eventually though, it only added to her stress when her thoughts began drifting back to Argus. Not a day went by when she didn't think of him and wondering if he was alright. She hadn't talked about him either. Not since the day that Murtagh told her that he had scryed him. She kept it to herself since she knew that Argus wasn't Murtagh's favorite thing to talk about.

Just as Alianna finished writing and put her journal away, Thorn spoke to her.

_Is everything alright?_

_ Yes. Why do you ask?_

_ You're thinking about Argus again._

_ I didn't realize you could read minds._

_ I can't. But I know you. You always have a certain look on your face when you write in your journal. And since Argus was the one who gave it to you…_

_ I worry about him. Who knows what they're putting him though because of me. Or if he's even alive for that matter._

_ I'm sure he's fine._

It took every ounce of strength Alianna had in her not to start crying. Especially as she recalled those last few minutes that she had with Argus.

_I shouldn't have left him behind. I should have tried harder…_

_ Alianna stop! You mustn't blame yourself._

_ I know, but I can't help it. Argus means a lot to me and I just left him there! _

_ May I ask you a… personal question?_

_ Did something happen between the two of you?_

This took Alianna completely off guard. She wondered why Thorn would even ask her that question. He couldn't possibly know about the kiss. Then it hit her.

_Does Murtagh think that?_

_ It's not my place to say._

_ Then why bring it up?_

Alianna was getting more annoyed with each second that passed. Thorn caught on quickly.

_It was only a question. I apologize if I offended you._

_ I accept your apology, but I don't wish to discuss this any further with you Thorn. If Murtagh has any concerns, then he needs to speak to me about them._

Alianna knew that Thorn had meant no harm and felt bad for her tone of voice with him. Her feelings for Argus were just not something she wanted to talk about. And even if she did, how could she when she didn't know what they were.

In a more calm voice, Alianna told Thorn that she was going to rest for a while and, if she fell asleep, to wake her up when Murtagh and Eragon came back.

Alianna's rest did not last very long. What seemed like only minutes after she fell asleep, Thorn let out a loud growl.

_Alianna!_

Her eyes immediately flew open and without any hesitation, she reached for her sword.

_What happened?_

_ The soldiers that were following us are now in Melian and attacking Murtagh and Eragon as we speak._

_ What? How many are there?_

_ Six or seven. Maybe more. _

_ We have to go help them!_

_ No, Alianna. We can't._

Alianna couldn't believe what she was hearing.

_Thorn we have to! They need our help… your help._

_ Murtagh made it very clear, despite my protests, that I am to stay here with you. His main concern is to protect you and the baby._

_ I understand that, but you're not seriously going to listen to him? I don't care what he said, we're going!_

_ You could get hurt._

_ And they could be killed! Is that what you want?_

_ Of course not. How dare you ask such a thing._

_ Look Thorn, I'm going with or without you. But without you will take longer. And besides, you promised Murtagh that you wouldn't leave me alone. _

_ I don't have a choice then do I?_

_ No, you don't._

_ Will you at least promise me you'll stay out of harm's way?_

_ I'll try._

_ Then let's go._

Being so heavily pregnant, it was difficult for Alianna to climb onto Thorn by herself. But somehow she managed it and they took off as soon as she was secure.

Alianna held on tightly as Thorn flew as fast as she could go. Still, she worried that they may not make it in time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Things were in absolute chaos as Alianna and Thorn reached Melian an hour later. As they made their way down to land, Alianna could hear the sounds of swords clashing and townspeople screaming. Her heart sank as she made her way off of Thorn and counted all of the soldiers. There wasn't just six or seven… more like twenty by her estimation. She was so caught up in what was happening that she hadn't noticed that Thorn was trying to talk to her.

_Alianna hide! Now!_

Alianna ran as fast as she could into a small ally, narrowly missing several arrows that flew by her in the process. As soon as she thought it was safe enough, looked around the corner, hoping to find Murtagh and Eragon somewhere in the crowd.

_Please let them be okay._

She spotted Eragon first, just as he was crushing the end of his sword into a soldier's skull. But where was Murtagh? She could see Thorn was desperately looking for him as well as he took down a group of men with ease. Alianna kept scanning the crowd, but as the minutes went by, and overwhelming sense of fear came over her.

_Murtagh can't be dead. He just can't be…_

It suddenly occurred to her that Murtagh had probably altered his appearance just before they entered Melian. She began looking more closely and soon enough she found him. He had changed into a different set of clothes and his hair and eyes were lighter, but Alianna knew it was him. She could tell by his mannerisms and his fighting style. She breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps they would get out of here alive. Alianna knew that between Murtagh, Eragon, and Thorn they could easily defeat the soldiers. She wished she could help them.

Alianna's confidence was quickly shattered when she saw four soldiers corner Murtagh and attack him at the same time. Thorn and Eragon were so busy with their own fights that they didn't see him.

"No!" she screamed.

Without even thinking, Alianna ran out into the street and towards Murtagh. She stopped dead in her tracks when a soldier spotted her and seemed to recognize who she was. The man charged at her, but just as she was reaching for her sword, Alianna found herself being grabbed from behind and dragged back into the alley. Whoever it was put their hand over her mouth before she had a chance to scream.

_This can't be happening._

With every ounce of strength she had, Alianna struggled to break free. But it was to no avail. Whoever this person was, and although she couldn't see them she could tell it was a man, they were incredibly strong. But he didn't fight back, even when she repeatedly elbowed him in the side as hard as she could. What surprised her the most, however, was that he was holding her firmly so that she couldn't get away, but gently enough that he wasn't hurting her.

"Shhhh!" he whispered.

All of a sudden, he let Alianna go. She wasted no time taking out her sword, pushing him up against a wall, and putting the sword to his throat. It was then that Alianna was finally able to see his face. She froze.

_No, it can't be._

Alianna backed away and immediately dropped her sword. So many emotions came over her- shock, disbelief, confusion, and then sheer happiness. Standing before her was someone she thought she might never see again. Someone she loved very much.

Argus.


End file.
